Discover Hesse: World Heritage, landscapes and cycling routes

Hesse offers a range of highlights for a stay: UNESCO sites, protected landscapes and long-distance cycling routes. Each of its ten regions has its own contrasts, cultural features and traditions.

UNESCO heritage and history

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe covers 560 hectares and is Europe’s largest hillside park. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. Its distinctive historical features include the water displays, which have retained their original function to this day. The park therefore combines an extensive landscape with a clearly identifiable aspect of its history.

A different ensemble takes centre stage at Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt: it comprises the Wedding Tower, the Exhibition Building, the Museum Künstlerkolonie, the Plane Tree Grove and the artists’ houses. Mathildenhöhe was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2021. When planning your trip, you can therefore treat this visit as a focus on a cohesive ensemble of buildings and outdoor spaces.

Lorsch Abbey, together with the nearby mother monastery of Altenmünster, received Hesse’s first World Heritage designation. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s certificate is dated 13 December 1991. Guided tours of the former imperial abbey are available to visitors. The visit includes the abbey grounds, with the King’s Hall, church fragment and herb garden; Altenmünster Abbey; the Zehntscheune exhibit depot; the museum centre; and the Lauresham open-air laboratory. As guided tour arrangements may change, check the latest dates and options before your visit.

Messel Pit reveals another chapter in Hesse’s World Heritage story: it was inscribed in 1995 and documents changes in animal and plant life up to 48 million years ago. Original finds can be seen in the permanent exhibition at the “Zeit und Messel Welten” visitor centre. Check the latest exhibition and visitor arrangements before travelling.

The Upper German-Raetian Limes in Hesse comprises 145 kilometres over land and 10 kilometres over water. These separate figures make clear that this historic route cannot be described in terms of just one type of route.

Explore landscapes and nature

More than a third of Hesse consists of diverse natural landscapes, including volcanic plateaus and gently rolling vineyards. An extensive network of hiking and cycling trails, together with waterways suitable for canoeing, offers a range of ways to explore these landscapes. The Taunus also provides a specific point of reference for understanding the region: Taunus Nature Park is Hesse’s second-largest nature park, covering approximately 134,775 hectares.

Kellerwald-Edersee National Park is Hesse’s only national park and protects one of Central Europe’s last near-natural European beech forests. Since June 2011, it has been part of the transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe.” The 68-kilometre Urwaldsteig trail runs through the national park, passing clearings with views over Lake Edersee. The route thus combines woodland scenery and lake views along the same hiking trail.

Compare cycling routes and distances

The R2 long-distance cycle route, known as the Rivers Tour, is listed as 202 kilometres long within Hesse. It crosses the state along the rivers Ohm, Antreff, Schwalm, Lauter, Lüder, Fulda and Sinn. The Fulda Cycle Route R1 is 255 kilometres long in total; the route planner lists 239 kilometres within Hesse. Keep these reference distances distinct when comparing them: the 255 kilometres refer to the entire route, while the 239 kilometres refer to the section in Hesse.

The R1 is a quality route awarded four stars under ADFC criteria. It runs from the heights of the Rhön into the lowlands and is also recommended for inexperienced cyclists and families. For the R2, the key points of comparison are its route along several rivers and its listed distance within Hesse. The kilometre figures describe distances, not the time needed to cycle them, so plan your stages according to your own itinerary.

Getting here and getting around the regions

If you arrive via Frankfurt Airport, its regional train station offers regular services to Frankfurt Central Station, with a journey time of 15 minutes. Service patterns may change; check the latest timetable before setting off. Hesse also has a well-developed network of local transport services alongside Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance trains. The Hessen-Ticket allows up to five people to travel throughout the state. As ticket conditions may change, it is worth checking the applicable terms before using it.

Discover more destinations: Kassel District, Werra-Meißner District, Schwalm-Eder District, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Hersfeld-Rotenburg, Fulda, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Vogelsberg, Gießen, Lahn-Dill District, Limburg-Weilburg, Hochtaunus, Wetterau, Main-Taunus, Main-Kinzig District, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Bergstraße, Odenwald, Rheingau-Taunus District.

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