Hausen: Orchards and the Rhön Landscape

Hausen shows the Rhön from a special perspective: the well-preserved belt of orchards around the village is considered an ecological and cultural asset. With its orchard educational trail, a variety conservation garden and recurring fruit events, this cultural landscape takes centre stage. You can learn about the diversity of varieties, orchard care and how the fruit is used through practical examples.

Orchards and the Rhön Landscape

The entire municipal area is part of the Rhön Nature Park; a large part lies within the Lange Rhön Nature Reserve. Hausen is also a model municipality in the Bavarian Rhön Biosphere Reserve. Around 500 orchard trees are spread across the municipal area. This figure indicates a long-term approximate scale, not a current count. In this way, the protected landscape is connected with a cultural landscape whose fruit trees also shape part of the local identity.

An Educational Trail with Two Perspectives

The Hausen orchard educational trail runs in two loops that together form a figure eight. It is marked with a solid red triangle; the paths are paved and easy to walk. Seven information boards explain the history of fruit growing, the orchard meadow as a habitat, the variety of fruit cultivars, and how fruit is used and marketed. Along the trail, around 50 fruit varieties, mostly old ones, are presented individually. The trail combines a walk with insights into the history of fruit growing, habitats and the uses of fruit. The information boards and variety profiles offer conversation starters for people travelling together.

Directly beside the trail, the variety conservation garden cultivates 400 apple and pear varieties as a gene bank. These two figures represent different ways of engaging with the subject: along the trail, you can learn about individual varieties, mostly old ones; in the garden, a wider range is maintained for conservation. The subject of orchards therefore becomes more than simply looking at fruit trees: it is also about knowledge of varieties and how diversity is preserved.

Fruit Events Throughout the Year

The Hausen Apple Market takes place on the third Sunday in October and features a range of apple varieties. In spring, a scion exchange sells grafting wood from old fruit varieties. Every year in April, the Hausen Orchard Working Group offers pruning and grafting courses. Each event has its own focus: the market highlights different apple varieties, while the exchange and courses focus on propagating or caring for old varieties. If you would like to plan your trip around one of these events, check the latest event dates before making arrangements.

Hausen’s orchard fruit is eaten fresh or made into juices, fruit brandies, liqueurs, spreads and dried fruit. This gives the landscape theme a culinary side, too. The products show the different ways fruit can be used; the apple market, in turn, offers a seasonal opportunity to discover a range of apple varieties.

Walks, Hikes and Finding Accommodation

Hausen also has well-marked routes for walks and hikes. The orchard educational trail has its own focus: it combines a paved path with a specific theme and a figure-eight route. This lets you choose between an informative walk about orchards and a trip with a broader focus on hiking.

If you are looking for accommodation in Hausen, start by considering the purpose of your trip: would you like seasonal fruit events and orchard culture to shape your stay, or are you mainly planning walks and hikes? The landscape, educational trail and recurring fruit events offer different reasons to include Hausen in your travel plans.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Bischofsheim An Der Rhön, Oberelsbach, Bastheim, Heustreu, Höchheim, Willmars, Sulzdorf, Stockheim.

Go to the overview of the wider region: Rhön-Grabfeld.