Neukirchen: Fairy-Tale House and Local History Museum
Accommodation in Neukirchen
Neukirchen offers a range of topics to consider when planning your trip: fairy-tale scenes and a striking Rapunzel motif in the historic market square, insights into traditional crafts, and activities for which you should check the right timing or make arrangements in advance. The Badewelt water park is another specific local attraction. You can sort through your interests before deciding on a hotel in Neukirchen.
Fairy-Tale House and Local History Museum in the Market Square
A thick blonde Rapunzel braid hangs from the upper floor of a small half-timbered house at the Fairy-Tale House. Inside, you can see vividly presented fairy-tale scenes; among its treasures are pieces, some of which are more than 150 years old. If you would like to do more than look at fairy tales, visitors can listen to a storyteller or reader by prior arrangement. So do not plan on this activity without making arrangements first.
The two adjacent buildings of the Local History Museum are behind St. Nicholas Church in the market square. The workshops there showcase the working life of more than ten skilled trades. The Fairy-Tale House and Local History Museum therefore offer different focal points: stories and historical treasures take centre stage at the former, while the latter highlights the diversity of traditional workshops. This can help you choose what to focus on during your visit, rather than assuming both houses offer the same content.
The Stolpersteine memorial stones are also part of Neukirchen’s history. Since 2014, stones have been laid each year in memory of Jewish families from the town who were deprived of their rights, expelled or murdered during the Nazi era. The memorial therefore honours specific families and their fate. Stones are laid annually; you should not assume that a stone will be laid on a particular date during your stay.
Seasonal Activities and the Badewelt Water Park
During the summer months, qualified health advisers Silke and Holger Arndt offer introductory Kneipp courses. Before making plans, confirm the current schedule for the seasonal summer courses. Listening to a storyteller or reader at the Fairy-Tale House also requires a prior arrangement. These two conditions are different: the course is seasonal, while the storytelling activity must be arranged in advance.
The indoor pool at the Neukirchen Badewelt has a water temperature of 28°C in both the swimming pool and the children’s paddling pool. If this information is important for your plans, check the temperature again before your visit.
Further information about the Schwalm-Eder district
The wider destination of the Schwalm-Eder district includes low-mountain landscapes around the Knüll, Kellerwald and Habichtswald ranges. The museums and routes there also offer distinct topics to help you explore the region; they should not be confused with the attractions in Neukirchen. In Willingshausen, the Malerstübchen Museum presents 19th- and 20th-century art history and displays paintings featuring motifs of Schwalm folk costume. Traditional Schwalm rural crafts there also include white embroidery, knitting and spinning. Expert-led tours include talks about the artists’ colony and its artists, Schwalm customs, traditional crafts and white embroidery.
In Schwalmstadt-Ziegenhain, the Schwalm Museum displays pottery and ceramic ware used in the region in a reconstructed pottery workshop. The museum also features a large model of the Ziegenhain water fortress, showing its condition in 1761 after the bombardment during the Seven Years’ War. A permanent exhibition in the tithe barn at the Breitenau Memorial commemorates events of the Nazi era; the educational programme includes guided tours, walks, talks and readings. These places cover a range of topics, from regional crafts to the history of the 18th century and the Nazi era.
For outdoor activities elsewhere in the district, two routes are described in different ways: the Steinkammergrabrunde near Fritzlar-Lohne is an easy 4.90-kilometre circular route designated Nature Park Circular Route L1. The Schwalm Cycle Route is around 100 kilometres long and runs mostly on paved or surfaced paths through river landscapes, meadows, fields, villages and half-timbered towns. It goes as far as the Schwalm’s confluence with the Eder, just before Felsberg. At 4.90 kilometres, the Steinkammergrabrunde is a short circular route; at around 100 kilometres, the Schwalm Cycle Route offers a considerably longer ride.
Discover more destinations: Asterode, Ottrau, Oberaula, EdermĂĽnde, KnĂĽllwald, Homberg/Efze, Frielendorf, Niedenstein.
For the wider travel guide: Schwalm-Eder district.
