Discover Altenkirchen
Accommodation in District of Altenkirchen (Westerwald)
When looking for hotels in Altenkirchen, you can take history, market days and leisure activities into account when choosing where to stay. These points of interest are spread across different places: some are in the town of Altenkirchen, others in Flammersfeld, Marienthal or Steineroth. This makes it possible to combine local history with attractions elsewhere in the district without conflating the individual destinations.
Raiffeisen’s legacy and Altenkirchen’s history
In 1849, Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen founded the “Flammersfelder Hülfsverein zur Unterstützung unbemittelter Landwirthe” in Flammersfeld, in the District of Altenkirchen—the world’s first loan fund association. From 1848 to 1852, the Raiffeisen House in Flammersfeld was Raiffeisen’s place of work and residence while he was mayor of the collective municipality of Flammersfeld. The founding of the association and the house illustrate different aspects of local history: the emergence of a cooperative idea, and Raiffeisen’s work and home at the time.
In the town of Altenkirchen, the Bismarck Tower tells a story of a lengthy construction process. It stands on the Dorn, a hill with a good view of the district town, and was built from local rock. Local residents initiated its construction; the foundation stone was laid on April 1, 1914. The First World War prevented the inauguration planned for April 1, 1915. The tower was completed in 1922, and its official inauguration followed on May 21 of that year. Reliefs and the remains of columns can also be seen in the foundations of Christ Church in Altenkirchen; they were salvaged from the old cemetery and used in the church’s reconstruction.
Weekly market and autumn event
The weekly market in Altenkirchen takes place on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the pedestrian zone. Its offerings include fish, cheese, fruit, vegetables, bread, eggs, meat and potatoes. There are also honey products sold directly by the producer, pickled specialties, flowers and textiles. The regular day and time give you a specific point of reference if you would like to plan a market visit during your stay.
The Simon-Juda-Markt is another recurring event: it takes place every year on the last Friday in October. If you would like to plan your trip around it, check the date for the relevant year.
Swimming, disc golf and trails in Altenkirchen
The Glockenspitze indoor swimming pool in Altenkirchen opened on November 26, 2025. The sports pool has five lanes, a one-metre springboard and a three-metre diving platform. A teaching pool with a movable floor is intended for water aerobics, aquacycling and swimming lessons; there is a shallow pool with a slide for young children. During the summer months, a large glass façade that can be opened wide provides direct access from the indoor swimming pool in Altenkirchen to the sunbathing lawn and terrace. This seasonal feature distinguishes the outdoor access from the pool facilities inside the building.
Those who want to be active outdoors will find several different options in Altenkirchen. The disc golf course in Parc de Tarbes is free to use at any time; you will need to bring your own discs. The KlimaWandelPfad Altenkirchen is a 7.5-kilometre circular trail with 14 information boards. Another option is the “Tour 5: From Valley to Valley” cycle route, which passes through the town to Parc de Tarbes, named after the French twin town of Tarbes. The park is therefore both a destination on this cycle route and the location of the disc golf course.
Destinations in the wider region
Marienthal offers a different experience from the leisure activities in town: it is still a popular place of pilgrimage today. The Klosterdorfweg trail runs around the former Franciscan monastery through the shady spa forest belonging to the Archdiocese of Cologne. In Steineroth stands the 478-metre-high Steinerother Kopf, a basalt dome offering panoramic views over the Siegerland and Elbbachtal, and, on clear days, as far as the Siebengebirge hills. A well-maintained, family-friendly circular trail leads to the summit plateau and its summit cross. Along the way, information boards tell visitors about the history of the former basalt quarry and the region’s flora and fauna.
For an overview of the wider area, the Westerwald-Sieg visitor region presents the District of Altenkirchen through four themed areas: Natural Treasures, Journeys Through Time, Raiffeisen Country and Mining Worlds. The regional selection includes hiking trails, panoramic paths and a network of cycling routes for bicycles, gravel bikes, mountain bikes, road bikes and e-bikes. This overview covers the region as a whole; not all the sights and trails described are located in the town of Altenkirchen.
Discover more destinations
Altenkirchen, Betzdorf, Daaden, Kirchen, Hamm, Wissen, Helmeroth, Gebhardshain
For the higher-level travel overview: Rhineland-Palatinate.
