Discover Hünfeld: Fairy Tales, Culture and Active Days

Hünfeld combines a fairy-tale trail around Lake Hasel with sites that tell the story of the town and a variety of ways to enjoy the outdoors. You can discover characters and storytelling traditions, explore museums and architecture, or choose trails in the town forest and throughout the region.

Fairy-Tale Trail and Recreation at Lake Hasel

In Hünfeld, the Brothers Grimm Fairy-Tale Trail circles Lake Hasel in the Seefläche Haselgrund recreation area. Along the trail are five life-size figures and groups of figures, created by five different artists. Here, fairy-tale motifs come to life not only in stories but also in the artistic works along the trail.

Storytellers can be arranged for groups on special request. In front of the figures, they tell stories including “The Town Musicians of Bremen” and “The Frog Prince”; advance booking is required. Pedal boats and rowboats can also be rented at the Lake Hasel recreation area. Boat rentals may be seasonal. The recreation area also has a children’s playground.

The circular trail, storytelling and boat rentals offer different options for planning your visit: storytelling is available to groups by request, while boat rentals may be seasonal. If you plan your stay around one of these activities, take the relevant conditions into account.

Outdoor Activities in Praforst Town Forest

Praforst Town Forest in Hünfeld has signposted hiking trails and a cycling network. It also offers a fitness trail, a mini-golf course and fishing. So, in addition to places for walks and bike rides, there are individual recreational activities. The forest also has a children’s playground and a pond complex.

Golf is also available there: the golf course has 18-hole and 9-hole courses. The town forest is also home to a campsite and the “St. Hubertus” Praforst forest restaurant. If you plan to stay at the campsite, check availability in advance. The forest restaurant is another named location in Praforst; check current opening hours before visiting.

Cycling Route through the Hessian Kegelspiel

One designated route option is the 27-kilometre Kegelspiel Cycle Path. It starts in Hünfeld and runs through the Haune Valley via Burghaun and Eiterfeld to Rasdorf, passing through the Hessian Kegelspiel, a mountain formation in the Kuppenrhön. For most of its length, the route follows the former Hünfeld–Wenigentaft railway line and has only very gentle gradients.

The route’s length, course and gradients are useful reference points when planning your rides. The Kegelspiel Cycle Path is a named route to Rasdorf; the Praforst Town Forest also has a cycling network. At 27 kilometres and with very gentle gradients, the Kegelspiel Cycle Path offers a clearly defined ride; the cycling network in Praforst is another option.

Church, Museums and Local History

The Monastery Church of St. Boniface, belonging to the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), was built in Hünfeld between 1897 and 1900. The architect Arnold Güldenpfennig from Paderborn designed it as a cruciform, three-aisled basilica in neo-Romanesque forms. Bishop Adalbert of Fulda consecrated the church on 6 April 1900. Its floor plan and architectural style make its history especially vivid for anyone interested in sacred architecture.

The Konrad Zuse Museum Hünfeld with its exhibits on town and district history is at Kirchplatz 4–6. Further insights into a range of subjects are offered by the Museum Modern Art Hünfeld at Hersfelder Straße 25 and the Railway Museum at Gartenstraße 5, an outpost of the Konrad Zuse Museum. The Celtic farmstead of Mackenzell at Zum Germanendorf 12 is also an outpost of the Konrad Zuse Museum. Since 1996, “The Open Book” in Hünfeld has been developing into an open-air museum. Together, these topics range from town and district history to modern art, railways and Celtic history.

Fulda as the Wider Regional Context

In the wider travel destination of Fulda, the Rhön in Fulda district offers opportunities for hiking and cycling. The Wasserkuppe is the highest mountain in Hesse and one of the district’s notable landmarks.

The wider travel destination of Fulda also offers the Kultursommer Main-Kinzig-Fulda, which has been held for more than 27 years. The festival supports more than 100 events in music, theatre, art exhibitions, literature and other fields. Venues are spread across Main-Kinzig district and Fulda district. If you plan to attend an event, check the latest dates before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Schenklengsfeld, Fulda, Hilders, Rasdorf, Bad Salzschlirf, Eiterfeld, Tann, Künzell.

Back to the main travel overview: Fulda.