Discover Eberbach: Castle, Old Town and the Neckar
Accommodation in Eberbach
Eberbach combines a distinctive urban history with a variety of ways to enjoy the outdoors. Eberbach Castle consists of three separate complexes—Vorderburg, Mittelburg and Hinterburg—on a strategically located mountain spur. The 17.50-metre-high Ohrsberg Tower stands on Ohrsberg, right in the centre of town. A historic circular ditch can still be seen at the summit. Impressive structures and landscapes come together here, offering different ways to explore the town.
Discover the town’s history
On a guided tour of the historic town centre, you can learn about its history dating back to the town’s founding, which is traced to 1227. The informative walk also takes you past historic buildings, half-timbered houses, niches and other details. If you are planning a tour, check the latest dates and times in advance.
The courtyard with the Bettendorf Gate dates back to 1470 and is considered possibly the oldest completely preserved half-timbered building in Eberbach. The Rosenturm stands at the northeastern corner of the old town and is the oldest of its four corner towers. It was built in the 13th century together with the town wall. The massive Bad or Haspel Tower on Lindenplatz recalls its former use: prisoners could be lowered into its windowless basement using a windlass. The tower dates back to the 14th century.
The town’s history is also on display on the front of the “Karpfen” hotel at Alter Markt: a sgraffito tells the story in 14 images. Eberbach artist Richard Hemberger created the work in 1934. The Thalheim House was first mentioned in 1421. It was once the seat of the Electoral Palatinate district administrator, later a princely Leiningen hunting lodge and then the town hall. Today, the building houses the information centre of the Neckartal-Odenwald Nature Park.
Riverside promenade and landscape
Eberbach’s riverside promenade runs from the mouth of the Itter through the Neckaranlage gardens, along the town wall and as far as the Blauer Hut. The Eberbach River History Trail offers a different perspective on the river landscape. This circular route is about ten kilometres long and uses 15 information boards to explain the geological and river history of the Neckar. It climbs into the cultural landscape on Breitenstein, where you can see former Neckar meanders and old Neckar valley floors.
The medicinal herb garden is a stop on both the urban ecology trail and the wild garlic trail. It is also right next to the cycle and hiking trail from Eberbach to Hirschhorn. A remarkable natural landmark can be found in the town forest: when officially measured on 14 December 2018, a Douglas fir was found to be 64.77 metres tall and is considered the tallest tree in the Odenwald.
Nature and cycling routes
The Nature Park Centre in Eberbach offers insights into orchards and beech forests, local flora and fauna, and how people and nature live together in the region, across 280 square metres of exhibition space. The exhibition complements what you can see outdoors with topics that help explain the landscape and natural environment.
BIKELĂ„ND has twelve legal, hand-built natural singletrack trails covering all difficulty levels, with more than ten kilometres of trail in total. Four trail centres can be reached from the market square. Separate from these is the approximately 35-kilometre BIKELĂ„ND mountain bike circuit, which starts and ends at Eberbach railway station. The figure of more than ten kilometres refers to the singletrack trails combined, while the approximately 35 kilometres refers to the circuit. If you are planning to ride the MTB route, check the latest route information.
Tailor your further search to the type of stay that matters most to you.
Discover more destinations: Hilsbach, Angelbachtal, Reichartshausen, Schriesheim, Dossenheim, Helmstadt-Bargen, Leimen, Rauenberg.
For the higher-level travel overview: Rhein-Neckar District.
