In this article you will read about beautiful towns, villages and cities to visit in Hessen Germany. It has been considered as the middle of Germany. The “middle of Germany”, as Hessen is also known. This region is known for a large number of beautiful places and cities, which many consider being among the most beautiful in Germany. Above all, the numerous half-timbered towns are typical of the state.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s sights such as monuments, large market squares, old city walls, large defense towers or historic buildings: the beautiful old towns in Hesse have a lot to offer.
Hesse not only has a former spa town as its capital and Frankfurt, a city whose skyline could compete with New York, but also many other beautiful cities in addition to castles and palaces. The Taunus, the Odenwald, the Spessart and the Rhein-Main area with a variety of landscapes belong to Hesse. For more travel articles about Belgium check this category and for all articles about Europe check this list. Let’s enjoy together some of the beautiful towns, villages and cities to visit in Hessen Germany.
Beautiful Towns and Villages in Hessen Germany
- Frankfurt
- Wetzlar
- Wiesbaden
- Fulda
- Kassel
- Marburg
- Heppenheim
- Birth
- Darmstadt
- Alsfeld
- Rudesheim am Rhein
- Bad Homburg
- Fritzlar
- Limburg an der Lahn
- Seligenstadt
- Idstein
- Michelstadt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, which is also called “Mainhattan” due to its location directly on the Main and the many high-rise buildings, has so much more to offer in addition to the large airport, the European Central Bank and the banking district.
In Frankfurt’s old town, the otherwise very lively, modern and international city shows itself from a completely different side.When admiring the many traditional buildings such as the Golden Scale, Little Nuremberg or the Red House, you will certainly feel like you have been transported back in time. Of course that Frankfurt is one of the most beautiful cities to visit in Hessen.
Wetzlar
The city is the twelfth largest city in Hesse and has 55,371 inhabitants. The city is best known for being the last seat of the Imperial Chamber Court from 1689 to 1806. Excavations have shown that the Wetzlar area has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic Age.
The reason why you should visit Wetzlar is the historic old town, where you can visit the cathedral and many very well restored half-timbered houses. In particular, the small, narrow streets that lead through the old town and smaller squares with a view of the Lahn give you a good impression that the old town has always been what it is today.
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is not only the state capital of Hesse, but also a very diverse spa town. Unlike Frankfurt, Wiesbaden was hardly hit during the Second World War and therefore many historical buildings are still well preserved and make the beautiful city in Hesse something special.
The old town of Wiesbaden is characterized by narrow and winding streets such as the famous Goldgasse, where you will find a variety of good and international restaurants and cafés. Many secret excursion destinations in Hesse are also hidden in the romantic alleys.
Fulda
Fulda definitely offers one of the most beautiful old towns in Hesse . Those who love the Middle Ages are in the right place in the old town of Fulda. The former center of the beautiful city in Hesse is the square “Unterm Heilig Kreuz”, where Fulda was once granted customs rights.
Right next to it is the impressive Old Town Hall, where meetings used to be held. When you visit the medieval chapel, the Severi Church and the house “Zum Roten Löwen” you will certainly feel like you have been transported back to the time of the knights and damsels.
Kassel
If you visit the city, then you should plan a visit to the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe. The mountain park was even declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 and is the largest landscaped mountain park in Europe.
In the center of the park is the Wilhelmshöhe Castle, the Löwenburg and the Hercules. Hercules is a copper statue of the Greek demigod of the same name, which is considered the symbol of the city. Hercules stands on the octagon, which can be walked on.
Marburg
Marburg’s old town was built directly on the castle hill on the river side of the Lahn. It is not for nothing that this beautiful old town in Hesse bears the name Oberstadt. In the past, as now, there was not much space here.
The narrow streets and densely packed medieval houses characterize the picturesque image of Marburg’s upper town. Just looking at the more than 700 historic buildings in the medieval town in Hesse will amaze you.
Heppenheim
Heppenheim one of the most beautiful villages to visit in Hessen. On request, only real Formula 1 fans can do something with the name Heppenheim. If you’re wondering why, here’s the explanation: Heppenheim an der Bergstrasse is the home of Sebastian Vettel. But that is not the reason why she is introduced to you in this article.
The reason for the idea is that Heppenheim is one of the must-see cities in Hesse and should therefore definitely be on your list of beautiful cities in Hesse.In the center of the old town is the Market Square, where some of the most important and oldest buildings in the city are located.
One of them is the town hall, which was built in the 18th century and was expanded and restored in the 20th century. Since then, a chime has been heard from the town hall tower several times a day.
Birth
In February 2020, Hanau became notorious when a man shot nine people with a migration background. But Hanau is much more than this assassination and should therefore definitely be visited by you.
For example, it is the birthplace of the Brothers Grimm and therefore the official Brothers Grimm City. Although the old town of Hanau was almost completely destroyed by bombing raids, today it offers its visitors a beautiful old town. It is one of the most beautiful places in Hessen Germany.
Darmstadt
Darmstadt has never given up the charm it already had as a residence city, which is why a visit to the city is definitely worthwhile for you. It can already be said in advance that Darmstadt is one of the most beautiful cities in Hesse.
Darmstadt has already had many nicknames, including “City of Arts” and “City of Science”. The city is also considered one of the most important centre of Art Nouveau, especially because of the Mathildenhöhe. This has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 2021.
Alsfeld
If you like half-timbered houses and historic old towns, then a visit to the city of Alsfeld is a must for you. Here one half-timbered house follows the next, so that you can stroll for hours through the small streets of the old town.
Highlights in the old town are the town hall, the Walpurgis Church and the oldest house in town. If you don’t want to discover one of the most beautiful old towns in Hesse on your own, you can book the beams and beer tour. The tour introduces you to the building and brewing history of Alsfeld.
Rüdesheim am Rhein
When you think of Rüdesheim, the first thing that comes to mind is “wine”, because the beautiful city in Hesse is home to many different grape varieties on gigantic steep slopes. But the famous Drosselgasse also comes to mind quickly.
The heart of Rüdesheim’s old town is a meeting point for locals, for residents of the surrounding beautiful villages in Hesse , but also for guests from all over the world who dock here with the ship.
Bad Homburg
Bad Homburg is not known to everyone and for this reason alone it is one of the secret destinations in Hesse . Small, old houses are hidden under the imposing Ritter-von-Marx-Bridge, standing in narrow and winding streets: Welcome to the old town of Bad Homburg. Right next to the impressive bridge are two towers, both of which were part of the city walls. In the 17th century, the town hall tower was mainly used for the violent burning of witches.
Fritzlar
Fritzlar is one of the most beautiful towns to visit in Hessen. Even if Fritzlar is a rather unknown half-timbered town in northern Hesse, it has a lot of superlatives to offer. Here you will find the most impressive cathedral, a unique half-timbered ensemble and the oldest office building in Germany.
You get the best view of Fritzlar when you hike up the Büraberg. In the oldest house in the city, the crooked lace house, is the city archive and if you take a look at the house, you will think that the 600-year-old house would collapse in the next second. But the static holds against all the laws of gravity.
Limburg an der Lahn
Limburg also offers you a historic half-timbered town that is worth discovering. The sights include the imposing cathedral, which you should definitely visit. The cathedral is the symbol of the city and was built on a limestone rock.
Its beautiful towers and the medieval art on display in the cathedral make it particularly worth seeing. In the oldest house in town, the “Werner-Senger Haus”, you will find a restaurant with home-style cooking.
Seligenstadt
Northeast of Frankfurt am Main is the small town of Seligenstadt. The city can look back on 1900 years of city history and you can of course discover many historic buildings here. The cityscape is characterized by elaborately restored half-timbered houses and small cobbled streets.
Like every historic town, Seligenstadt also had a town wall during the Middle Ages, today only a fraction of it remains – the Palatium. The old town is something very special, especially because the half-timbered houses do not have a uniform color structure, but many different colored wooden beams can be seen.
Idstein
Idstein is one of the cities most worth seeing in Hesse, especially because the old town with its many sights is particularly impressive and definitely tops other cities with a historic city center. In other words, it is the most beautiful half-timbered town in all of Hesse.
On every corner you will find elaborately decorated half-timbered houses, one more beautiful than the other and many with a special history. This beautiful setting encourages photo taking, especially at a time when everyone is sharing their travels on social media platforms.
Michelstadt
Michelstadt is located in the Odenwald and the city’s landmark is its historic town hall, which you can find right on the market square. The town hall with its three turrets is one of the most important and beautiful half-timbered houses in Germany. While you’re there, you should also visit the thieves’ tower. This was built in 950 AD and was used as a prison from 1312. Fürstenau Castle in the region is also well worth seeing.