The Roman Limes runs just beyond Kemmenau, where its course is clearly visible. This gives you a specific focus when choosing your stay: you can combine hikes related to the Limes with other trails and traces of local culture. Kemmenau is in Nassau Nature Park and is a state-recognised health resort. When planning your stay, you can choose between hiking trails, other outdoor activities and local history.
Hiking between the Limes and the Lahn Valley
Near Kemmenau, the Limes Hiking Trail runs directly parallel to the Limes and heads towards the Lahn Valley. An information board beside the Limes explains its function, linking the trail to specific information about the visible course of the Limes.
A circular trail passes the renovated horse trough and the White Stone. The Lahn-Westerwald Circular Trail climbs up through Kemmenau to the terrace above the Lahn Valley. It reaches the village at an information board about the Limes. As it leaves Kemmenau, it passes a riding stable; it also crosses the area designated as a bike park.
The trails have different highlights: the Limes Hiking Trail follows the visible Limes, the circular trail lists the horse trough and the White Stone as stops, and the Lahn-Westerwald Circular Trail climbs to the terrace above the Lahn Valley.
Activities in different seasons
Hiking in Kemmenau is available year-round. There is also a nature-oriented Kneipp facility; other local outdoor activities include horse riding, carriage rides and tennis. In winter, there are groomed cross-country ski trails. This distinction is useful when choosing a season: hiking is possible year-round, while cross-country skiing is an additional winter activity here.
Buildings and local history
The village’s history features a variety of buildings and artefacts. The church was consecrated in 1970 and stands on a hill with far-reaching views. Two of its bells are named the Peace Bell and the Lord’s Prayer Bell. The former school building at An der Schule 5 dates from 1908 and was built in the Reform style. At Backhausstraße 2 stands a cast-iron pump well, which may date from the second half of the 19th century. Chronologically, this gives a sequence from the possibly older well to the 1908 school building and then the church’s consecration in 1970. Together, these sites bring to life the differences between architectural styles, historic uses and a single everyday object.
Rhein-Lahn as a regional setting
The wider travel destination of Rhein-Lahn encompasses a larger landscape. The Rhein-Lahn district includes the area on the right bank of the Rhine around the mouth of the Lahn, the Lahn Valley as far as just before Limburg near Diez, the southern foothills of the Westerwald towards the Lahn Valley, and the northern uplands of the Taunus between the Rhine and the Aar. The Roman Limes also crosses the district; remains are still visible today and form part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Upper German-Raetian Limes. This regional expanse of river landscapes and ridges provides the setting for the Rhein-Lahn travel destination, while Kemmenau’s own trails and cultural themes remain the local points of reference.
Discover more destinations: Lahnstein, Diez, Reichenberg, Loreley, Katzenelnbogen, Patersberg, Holzhausen An Der Haide, Nassau.
View the wider travel overview: Rhein-Lahn.
