Hettigenbeuern – Götzenturm Tower and Tobacco Barns

Hettigenbeuern tells its story through distinctive landmarks: the medieval Götzenturm Tower, traditional tobacco barns and trails that reveal historical traces in the landscape. There is also a 12-hole mini-golf course in the spa gardens and a circular cycling tour that passes through the village. Together, these offer different perspectives on the village and the Morre Valley.

Götzenturm Tower, tobacco growing and early traces

The Götzenturm is a surviving medieval residential and fortified toll tower. It was built around 1347 as part of a fortified complex to defend the Morre Valley and was fully renovated in 1979/80. Its residential and defensive functions make it a striking testament to the village’s history.

The traditional tobacco barns are also part of the village landscape. Thanks to its mild climate, Hettigenbeuern was for a long time the only tobacco-growing community in the Odenwald. The barns thus point to a distinctive local history of cultivation. Finds of pottery, bricks and iron on the Burgbuckel provide another historical clue: they suggest the presence of a medieval fortification.

History along trails through the Morre Valley

Route 3 near Hettigenbeuern crosses the border between Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Boundary stones bearing the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Baden and the Bavarian coat of arms still mark the border there; they date from 1838/39. The same route also passes a historic pig enclosure built from fieldstones. It was used to protect and control herds of pigs. The boundary markers and pig enclosure represent different chapters of history that can be explored along the trail.

The Buchen–Hettigenbeuern Morre Valley Trail explores the natural, cultural and landscape history of the Morre Valley. The trail also addresses the Maria-Hilf Chapel from a historical perspective. This broadens the focus from individual buildings and boundary markers to the history of the valley’s landscape.

Mini golf and a circular cycling tour

For a different kind of activity, the Hettigenbeuern mini-golf course in the spa gardens has 12 holes. It offers a clear contrast to the historical themes of the trails and buildings.

Cycling Tour 5 covers a wider area: it starts in Buchen, passes through Hollerbach, Mudau and Hettigenbeuern, and returns to Buchen town centre. Comparing the options, you will find different points of interest: Route 3 passes boundary stones and a historic pig enclosure, while Cycling Tour 5 incorporates Hettigenbeuern into a circuit linking several named places.

In the wider destination of Buchen (Odenwald)

The wider destination of Buchen (Odenwald) also offers its own cultural and landscape highlights. The Buchen District Museum is housed in two buildings of the former Electoral Mainz administrative winery: the Steinerner Bau, dating from 1493, and the Trunzerhaus. The Steinerner Bau displays rural and bourgeois rooms, Baier cupboards typical of the Odenwald, clothing, Odenwald traditional costumes and a toy collection. The museum thus offers a distinctive insight into the region’s everyday life and collecting history.

Another highlight is the Hasenwald wildlife park in Hettingen, a district of Buchen. Covering around 9,000 square metres, the Vogelfreunde e.V. association looks after a small animal park integrated into a wooded area, with aviaries and various bird species as well as sheep, guinea pigs, rabbits, goats and a pony. The wildlife park also has a nature trail for exploring the woods and a small playground.

The Eberstadt stalactite cave offers another perspective on natural history: its age is estimated at three to five million years. The visitor centre uses several stations to present the history of the Earth and the period of the Muschelkalk Sea in an accessible, multimedia format. A geological nature trail with information boards on geology, landscape and ecology starts at the cave car park.

Discover more destinations: Seckach, Mosbach, Schefflenz, Waldbrunn, Walldürn, Limbach/Laudenberg, Elztal, Neunkirchen.

View the wider travel guide: Neckar-Odenwald District.