Herborn: Half-Timbered Houses, History and Special Experiences

In Herborn, surviving traces of the town’s fortifications meet half-timbered houses, church architecture and guided tours with a range of themes. You can plan your stay around the topics that interest you most: architectural history, the development of half-timbering or the history of the Hohe Schule. Markets and recurring events add further highlights throughout the year.

Discover the town’s history in its walls, towers and half-timbered houses

Visible reminders of Herborn’s past include sections of the town wall and the town gates Steinerne Pforte and Neue Pforte, also known as Leonhardsturm. Hexenturm, Bürgerturm, Speckturm and Dillturm have also been preserved. Herborn’s residential palace was first mentioned in a document around 1350. The Old Dye Works at Mühlbach 5/7 and the oldest residential house, dating from 1445, at Mühlgasse 5 are also among the Old Town’s historic sights. Herborn is also part of the German Half-Timbered House Road.

These dates offer different ways to explore Herborn’s history: the palace is associated with its first mention in a document around 1350, the residential house with the year 1445, and the Hohe Schule with its founding. Count Johann VI of Nassau-Katzenelnbogen founded the Hohe Schule in 1584. Those interested in half-timbering can look beyond a single building: the “Half-Timbering Special” tour explains how half-timbered buildings from six centuries can be dated. It can be booked at any time on request.

The church and Hohe Schule from different perspectives

The Protestant Town Church may be the oldest building in Herborn. Its interior features architectural styles ranging from Gothic to Renaissance and Baroque. The “1,000-Year-Old Town Church” tour focuses on the styles from Romanesque to Renaissance, the Gothic choir, the ribbed vault and the princely crypt.

There is more than one way to discover the Hohe Schule, too. The town museum at the Hohe Schule explores Herborn’s history, crafts, trade and domestic culture, as well as the education of former students and professors; changing exhibitions complement the displays. Check current access arrangements before visiting. The “Hohe Schule” tour covers its history and visits the palace, church and town hall. The assembly hall and museum are also included. The tour lasts about 90 minutes and can be booked at any time on request. Check the current booking options before your trip.

From the “Dillblick” observation tower, you can see across Herborn, the surrounding area and the Dill Valley. This offers a different focus alongside the historic buildings: a perspective on the town and its landscape. You can make this view a highlight of your stay or combine it with an interest in local history and architecture.

Weekly market and events throughout the year

Herborn’s weekly market takes place every Friday at Kornmarkt and Holzmarkt. If you want to include a market visit in your stay, Friday gives you a regular day to plan around; check the date locally before your trip.

The Martinimarkt takes place in Herborn on the second weekend of November each year and has been recorded since 1465. Potato Sunday falls on the second Sunday in September and takes place in Herborn’s town centre. There are potato-based specialities; shops and stalls open at 12 noon, and admission is free. If either event is important to your travel plans, check the dates and programmes in advance.

Other themed destinations in the wider Lahn-Dill-Kreis travel region

The wider Lahn-Dill-Kreis travel region also has distinctive themed destinations in other towns and communities. In Wetzlar, the Lottehaus recalls Goethe’s meeting with Charlotte Buff and the summer of 1772. Two rooms on the first floor house a permanent exhibition on the origins and impact of Goethe’s first novel, “The Sorrows of Young Werther.” In Solms-Oberbiel, the Grube Fortuna visitor mine is the only Hessian anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage.

In Dillenburg, Villa Grün presents objects and detailed reconstructions of industrial and craft production in the Dill area across more than 20 rooms. In the basement, a multimedia mining exhibition adds to the theme. These examples illustrate the Lahn-Dill-Kreis’s varied cultural highlights; they are destinations in their own right, not sights in Herborn.

Discover more destinations: Greifenstein, Ehringshausen, Haiger, Eschenburg, Waldsolms, Dietzhölztal, Breitscheid, Lahnau.

Go to the overview of the wider travel region: Lahn-Dill-Kreis.