Discover Starzach: Hiking, the Neckar Valley and history

Starzach is particularly appealing to travelers who want to combine hiking with nature and traces of local history. Nine designated routes offer a range of distances and waypoints; the Neckar Nature Trail adds information about the river ecosystem and the formation of the Neckar Valley landscape. Wachendorf Castle, Siegburg and museums offer further historical topics to explore. You can tailor your stay to suit your interests.

Hiking routes by distance and waypoints

The municipal route information from July 2023 lists nine designated hiking routes, shown on a total of five hiking boards. Their distances and named waypoints provide practical guidance when choosing a route:

• The 6.6-kilometer “Around Bierlingen” route passes the forest chapel, Hummelberg, the panoramic trail and St. Martinus.
• “To Ammelesbrunnen” is 5.4 kilometers long and passes through Härle and the municipal forest, as well as by Ammelesbrunnen and the forest chapel.
• The 9.3-kilometer “From Wachendorf to the Starzel Valley” route passes Wachendorf Castle and goes through the Starzel Valley.
• The 7.2-kilometer “Swabian Sauerland” loop passes the Lohmühle hiking car park and Eyach station.
• “From Wilhelmshöhe to the Neckar Valley” is 9.8 kilometers long and passes, among other places, the “Kulturtankstelle” village museum.
• The 5.8-kilometer “Around Felldorf” route passes Mühringer Talblick and the Hebsack sinkhole.
• The 10-kilometer “Great Heights Loop” goes through the municipal forest and passes Ammelesbrunnen.
• “Sulzau and the Siegburg Ruins” is 7.5 kilometers long; the route passes the Neckar Bridge, the Bierlingen cemetery chapel and the Eulental spring.
• The 5.7-kilometer “Panoramic Loop to the Wayside Crosses” rounds out the selection.

The listed routes range from 5.4 to 10 kilometers. “To Ammelesbrunnen” and “Around Felldorf” are among the shorter examples, while the “Great Heights Loop” is the longest route listed. The routes also differ in their waypoints: one might pass a spring or municipal forest, another a valley, chapel or museum. This makes your choice a question of what you are most interested in seeing along the way.

The Neckar Valley and nature

Near Starzach-Börstingen, the Neckar Nature Trail has eight stations, some of them interactive, providing information about the river ecosystem and the formation of the Neckar Valley landscape. There are also themed play areas for children and places to sit. River knowledge, landscape and practical stopping points give this trail a different character from the hiking routes, whose descriptions focus mainly on distance and waypoints.

The cycle route is another way to explore the area: the Neckar Valley Cycle Route runs right through Starzach. The Schloss Weitenburg Golf Club is also located in the Neckar Valley near Sulzau. These offer additional points of interest for travelers who want to fill their days with a variety of activities.

Historical traces and museums

Wachendorf Castle and Siegburg represent different chapters in the history of architecture. The Old Castle at Wachendorf Castle was built around 1500; the gatehouse and New Castle were added in 1555. By contrast, only a section of wall and part of the moat remain at Siegburg. The site was probably built in the 11th century and destroyed soon afterward. The tentative dating and few surviving remains make the castle’s history a different kind of historical trace from the dated construction phases of the castle.

The Börstingen Village Museum presents the history of Börstingen, including the Swabian mineral spring and timber rafting on the Neckar. In Bierlingen, the Swabian-Alemannic Miniature Mäskle Museum houses the world’s largest collection of small Fasnet masks. A figure published on September 19, 2024, puts the collection at more than 5,569 miniatures. The two museums have different focuses: local history and rafting at one, and the small masks of Fasnet at the other.

If you are looking for accommodation in Starzach, you can start by considering which themes you want to shape your stay: hiking routes, nature along the Neckar or historic sites. The named routes and attractions offer practical ideas without prescribing a single itinerary for the day.

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