Wettenberg

Forest trails, a lake and leisure in Wettenberg

The Wettenberg Forest Nature Trail is a 4 km marked route between the Gesamtschule Gleiberger Land school and the tennis courts in Krofdorf. Numerous trees and shrubs along the route have name labels. The trail therefore combines a set distance and named endpoints with information about the plants along the way. If you are planning a walk, you can use these details to choose between a marked trail and other leisure destinations in Wettenberg.

The landscape at Wißmar Lake is different: this former gravel pit lake lies in a loop of the Lahn surrounded by forest and meadows. After gravel extraction ended, the site was restored to nature and developed as a recreational area. Gravel extraction and restoration are therefore part of the site’s history; the forest, meadows and loop of the Lahn describe its present-day surroundings. Unlike the forest nature trail, where the focus is on a marked route with labelled trees, here the focus is on a body of water in a designed landscape.

The “Gleiberger Land” outdoor pool in Wettenberg-Krofdorf-Gleiberg has a 33.5-metre swimming pool and two diving towers, 1 and 3 metres high. There is also a non-swimmers’ pool and a children’s pool with slides. The 18,000 m² sunbathing lawn also has a beach volleyball court and facilities for table tennis and giant chess. These details show the range of activities available at the pool: swimming and diving, playing in the children’s pool or enjoying activities on the sunbathing lawn. Opening hours and prices are not provided here.

The Natura Trail in the Krofdorfer Forst is another way to explore the area on foot. It is a circular route that starts and ends at the Wettenberg car park at the Wertholzlagerplatz. Unlike the Wettenberg Forest Nature Trail, its circular layout is a defining feature; no route length is given. When choosing between the two trails, the known differences are therefore relevant: the forest nature trail has a stated length of 4 km, is marked and has named endpoints, while the Natura Trail is a circular route with a specified start and end point.

Additional destinations in the wider Gießen travel destination

Gießen also offers additional destinations for planning your trip. These are in the wider Gießen travel destination and should not be confused with the places mentioned in Wettenberg. The Botanical Garden of Justus Liebig University Giessen is Germany’s oldest university botanical garden. Some of its original sections are still part of the grounds today. This gives a visit a historical dimension, while the garden can also be appreciated as a botanical destination.

The Learning and Memorial Site Notaufnahmelager Gießen houses an exhibition that opened in June 2025 about flight, arrival and new beginnings. It combines personal stories with broader historical contexts. Those interested in history and individual life stories will find a different theme there from the nature and leisure destinations in Wettenberg.

Another destination in Gießen is the 7.2 km Kunstweg (Art Trail). It leads from Ludwigsplatz via the Philosophikum I and II campus areas, with the Gießener Kunstweg, past the edge of the Law and Science campus area to the Luther Oak and the Old Cemetery, and back to its starting point at the Dachcafé-Hochhaus. Its route combines art in a campus setting with several named places and returns to the starting point. This gives visitors a choice of different themes for their stay: trails and landscapes in Wettenberg, and garden, remembrance and art destinations in the wider Gießen travel destination.

For the wider travel overview: Gießen.