Schmitten in the Taunus: Trails, Views and History

Schmitten in the Taunus offers a variety of reasons to visit: an outdoor pool, trails through the countryside and historic buildings. Particularly striking are the neo-Gothic Church of St. Karl Borromäus, the Wiegerfelsen viewpoint right beside it, and the Taunus Wichtel Trail, with its carved figures and stories. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus on local history, outdoor activities or other destinations in the Hochtaunus region.

Church, views and time for a swim

The Church of St. Karl Borromäus was built from Taunus slate between 1892 and 1895. The building material was quarried directly from the rock at the construction site. The Wiegerfelsen viewpoint is next to the church and can be reached by climbing a few steps. This allows you to combine architectural history and a viewpoint in one place without having to undertake a longer tour.

Schmitten outdoor pool has a 50-metre stainless-steel pool and two shallow children’s pools with slides. The different pools are a useful point of reference if swimming is part of your plans. Check the pool’s current opening status before your trip.

Trails with different focuses

The Taunus Wichtel Trail features carved gnomes, each accompanied by a story to read. The route starts and ends in Schmitten and passes through forests, along the Weil and across green meadow paths in Taunus Nature Park. Four information boards provide details about the hiking route. The figures and stories offer a different kind of experience from a tour focused mainly on the distance covered.

The TaunusRunde Höhenluft, just over 33 kilometres long, runs around Schmitten and through all the districts of the Feldberg municipality. It starts at Schmitten outdoor pool. One or more steep climbs may require a good level of fitness or an e-bike. The Himmelsleiter circular trail has a different starting point: it begins at the Catholic Church of St. Borromäus, at 434 metres above sea level. The terrain and seasonal conditions can affect access to this trail.

Castle ruins and a snow-dependent ski lift

Reifenberg Castle rises above Schmitten-Oberreifenberg and is considered the highest medieval castle in the Taunus Mountains. The surviving structures of Oberreifenberg Castle Ruins include a keep, a church cellar, a slender residential tower and a four-metre-thick shield wall with round towers. These features give the site a varied character, from the striking keep to the unusually substantial shield wall.

Oberreifenberg is home to the Oberreifenberg ski lift, a drag lift for skiers and snowboarders, at an elevation of around 680 to 730 metres. Its operation depends on snowfall; weekend opening times are subject to good snow conditions. This seasonal activity is quite different from the trails, which are primarily affected by the terrain and time of year.

More destinations in the broader Hochtaunus travel region

The Hessenpark Open-Air Museum is in Neu-Anspach, in the Hochtaunuskreis district, within the broader Hochtaunus travel region. A family trail shows children and adults how people used to live and work. Bus route 63 connects Wehrheim or Neu-Anspach/Anspach station with the Neu-Anspach/Anspach Hessenpark stop. Check the connection before travelling. There are six e-bike charging stations directly at the museum, and a bicycle service station lets visitors carry out minor repairs and maintenance themselves.

The Museum Burg Kronberg adds another cultural and historical perspective to the Hochtaunus region. Since 2008, it has presented a permanent exhibition on the history of Kronberg Castle in the north wing of the Middle Castle. The museum and the castle’s interiors can only be visited as part of a guided tour; check the schedule before your visit. Hessenpark and Kronberg Castle complement Schmitten’s local history with two distinct subjects: everyday life in the past and the history of a castle.

Plan your stay and accommodation search

When planning accommodation, it helps to organise your plans by their starting points: the TaunusRunde Höhenluft starts at the outdoor pool, while the Himmelsleiter circular trail starts at the church. Also consider whether you mainly want to explore trails and historic buildings in Schmitten or include other destinations in the Hochtaunus region. This will help you tailor your accommodation search to your planned activities without making assumptions about routes, travel times or amenities.

You can also explore Oberreifenberg and Arnoldshain as other destinations for your trip.

Discover more destinations: Glashütten, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Kronberg, Wehrheim, Königstein im Taunus, Steinbach.

Return to the broader travel overview: Hochtaunus.