Discover Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis

In Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, nature experiences, geological questions, historic architecture and regional cuisine offer different travel interests. The Katzenbuckel is interesting from the perspective of both a viewpoint and a geological nature trail; Hornberg Castle and the Odenwald Open-Air Museum offer other attractions. There are also trails with clearly described routes, as well as activities centred on regional food and cooking together. When planning your trip, you can first decide whether landscape, culture, activity or culinary delights should take centre stage.

The Katzenbuckel and trails in the Odenwald

At 626 metres, the Katzenbuckel in Waldbrunn is the highest mountain in the Odenwald. A 20-metre-high observation tower on the Katzenbuckel offers panoramic views across the Odenwald. If you are interested not only in the view but also in how the mountain formed, the “Path of Crystals” geological nature trail offers a second perspective: it explains how the Katzenbuckel was formed from an extinct volcano. The viewpoint and geological interpretation thus offer different ways of exploring the same subject.

In Elztal, a comfortable circular trail of around 3.8 kilometres passes through the Trienzbachtal valley and along a Kneipp facility. The trail is suitable for wheelchair users, people with rollators and families with pushchairs. The circular trail opened and was officially presented on 18 March 2026. While the “Path of Crystals” explains how the Katzenbuckel formed, the circular trail has a clearly specified length and route. This lets you choose different focuses for your stay without reducing both trails to the same kind of outing.

Castles, crafts and history

Hornberg Castle in Neckarzimmern consists of a lower castle, an upper castle and an outer bailey. This three-part layout gives the site a clearly structured architecture and provides a specific starting point for considering its design. Traditional craft techniques and agricultural methods are regularly demonstrated at the Odenwald Open-Air Museum. In addition to historic buildings, earlier ways of working are therefore among the cultural topics you can consider when planning your trip.

The pilgrimage basilica in Walldürn may also help you find your bearings: it can be reached by public transport. Walldürn station, served by the Westfrankenbahn railway, is about 850 metres away. If you plan to rely on public transport, check the current connections before your trip.

Regional food and cooking together

The annual “Brunch on the Farm” features local products such as smoked trout, tangy cheese and homemade bread. Check the event dates and participating farms before your trip. At farmers’ markets and direct-sales days in Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, you can meet producers, ask questions and sample regional food; you should also check the dates and locations of these events in advance.

The Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis district office’s cooking activities offer further culinary insights. The team from the Nutrition, Home Economics and Income Diversification department within the Agricultural Services division invites you to cook and enjoy food together. At cooking workshops, participants can discover the diversity of flavours and distinctive features of Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis. Markets and direct-sales days focus on meeting producers and sampling regional food; the workshops centre on cooking together and the region’s culinary specialities.

Experiences to guide your accommodation search

When choosing accommodation, it is worth starting with the experiences you prefer: would you like your trip to focus on views and geological topics, a comfortable circular trail, cultural history or regional food? These priorities can help you organise the places and activities you compare in your search according to your own plans. If public transport is important for your trip, the pilgrimage basilica in Walldürn is a useful point of reference; check the timetable for current connections.

Within the wider context of Baden-Württemberg

Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis is part of the broader travel destination of Baden-Württemberg. Large contiguous forest areas such as the Black Forest, the Swabian Forest and the Odenwald shape Baden-Württemberg; around 40 percent of the state is forested. Baden-Württemberg’s official tourism strategy organises the visitor offering around four main themes: nature, culture, culinary delights and health.

Places in Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis

Mudau, Waldbrunn, Limbach/Laudenberg, Mosbach, Schefflenz, Haßmersheim, Limbach, Fahrenbach, Rosenberg, Aglasterhausen, Schollbrunn, Neunkirchen, Neckarzimmern, Buchen, Hettigenbeuern, Obrigheim, Osterburken, Ravenstein, Adelsheim, Seckach, Walldürn, Schwarzach, Zwingenberg, Neckargerach, Neckarmühlbach, Binau, Elztal

See the broader travel overview: Baden-Württemberg.