Korbach can be explored through several layers of history: fossils from the Korbach Fissure, the medieval town and traces of gold mining each shape a different kind of excursion. When planning your visit, the choice of scale is especially interesting—from the 2.1-kilometre loop along the city walls to the approximately 20-kilometre GeoPath and the singletrack trails on Eisenberg.
Fossils and City History
The Wolfgang-Bonhage-MUSEUM KORBACH explores the world-famous fossils of the Korbach Fissure, the 1,000-year history of the medieval Hanseatic town and traces of historic gold mining on Eisenberg. The Korbach Fissure is a fossil site containing Upper Permian vertebrates. Alongside the Messel Pit UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, it is considered the most significant paleontological monument in Hessen and the oldest known fossil-bearing fissure in Europe.
The GeoFoyer Kalkturm Korbach offers another perspective on Earth’s history, where visitors can explore the landscape and life forms of 250 million years ago. Rocks found near Korbach illustrate how this ancient landscape formed. The fossil site, the rocks and the town’s history each highlight different aspects, allowing visitors to discover Korbach through both its geological past and its development as a Hanseatic town.
Walks Between the City Walls
The 2.1-kilometre “Between the Walls” loop runs between the two medieval city walls, circling the historic old town. It starts and ends at the town model by the Wolfgang-Bonhage-MUSEUM KORBACH. At ten stops, visitors can discover interesting facts and curiosities from the town’s history, as well as modern sides of Korbach. Its manageable length clearly distinguishes this walk from the longer GeoPath; at the same time, its starting and finishing point connects the route to the museum.
The Korbach Gold Trail leads to sights in the medieval Hanseatic town, marked by gold coins set into the ground. At Eisenberg, visitors can explore the theme of mining in a different way: the “Gold Trail” educational path features traces of surface mining, while further traces can be found underground in the visitor mine. At the Eisenberg Gold Visitor Mine, visitors can experience historic mining up close.
GeoPath and Singletrack Trails on Eisenberg
The approximately 20-kilometre Korbach GeoPath is a loop linking the Korbach Fissure with Eisenberg near Goldhausen. The area is home to Germany’s largest gold deposit, a visitor mine and the “Gold Trail” educational path. The GeoPath thus links two places to visit in Korbach and offers a longer route option than the walk through the old town.
For cycling, the Green Trails Korbach are located on Eisenberg near Korbach-Goldhausen: the 10 kilometres of singletrack trails were completed in summer 2023 and linked into four loops of varying difficulty. They offer fun for the whole family. The central trailhead is on the outskirts of Korbach, right by SĂĽdring; there are parking spaces, places to rest and a bicycle repair station. A connecting route leads from the car park directly to Eisenberg and the four singletrack trails in the Korbach trail area.
Waldeck-Frankenberg as a Wider Travel Destination
Visitors who also want to include other themes in the wider Waldeck-Frankenberg travel destination will find a nature experience in its own right: the ancient beech forests of Kellerwald-Edersee National Park have been part of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage since 2011. The 66-kilometre Urwaldsteig Edersee can be walked in eight stages or as part of a three-day ranger-led hike, with each stage covering around 22 kilometres. This multi-day hiking format is clearly different in scope from the walking routes in Korbach.
Discover more destinations: Goldhausen, Lengefeld, Hillershausen, Rosenthal, Bad Wildungen, Bromskirchen, Twistetal, Basdorf.
See the wider travel overview: Waldeck-Frankenberg.
