Mittenaar: Hiking Trails, Museums and History

Mittenaar is located in the Lahn-Dill-Bergland Nature Park and offers numerous designated hiking trails where you can explore the low mountain landscape and its ridges. The Hörre is a nature reserve with a dense beech forest. The landscape and local history can be experienced in different ways: outdoors on the trails and in the collections of the local history museums.

Hiking Along the Ridges and Through the Districts

The Mittenaar 2010 Permanent Hiking Trail is a challenging hike that starts in Bicken and loops around the municipality. The route is about 30 kilometers long and includes approximately 2,000 meters of elevation gain. The “50 Years of Mittenaar Anniversary Trail” is well marked and passes through the districts of every village. While the Permanent Hiking Trail stands out for its challenge, length and elevation gain, the anniversary trail is distinguished by its markings and route through all the villages.

The Dernbachwiesen Extra Tour leads through woodland and fields and offers views over numerous valleys. Archaeological sites of note, dating back more than 4,000 years, lie close to the Rennweg along the Extra Tour. At 445 meters, Alte Burg is the highest point on the Dernbachwiesen Extra Tour. The Bickener Ritterspuren Extra Tour draws on the roughly 600-year-old history of the Lords of Bicken. The Bicken shelter serves as a refreshment stop in the Lahn-Dill-Bergland Hiking Park.

Local History in Museums and Wall Paintings

The Bicken Local History Museum displays household furnishings and everyday objects from agriculture and crafts dating from the beginning of the 20th century. The museum includes a working blacksmith’s forge and also preserves more than 2,000 images of Bicken from the late 19th century. Visits are possible by prior arrangement.

The Offenbach Local History Museum focuses on different subjects: it includes a historic classroom, an old herb shop and a rock collection, and displays exhibits relating to the history of mining. The two local history museums therefore focus on different collections and themes. The Ballersbach church also offers a glimpse into the past: it contains wall paintings dating from around 1500.

Culture in the Wider Lahn-Dill-Kreis Destination

The wider Lahn-Dill-Kreis destination also offers distinctive cultural attractions. The Lottehaus in Wetzlar recalls Goethe’s encounter with Charlotte Buff and the summer of 1772. Two rooms on the first floor house a permanent exhibition on the origins and reception of Goethe’s first novel, “The Sorrows of Young Werther.” In Dillenburg, Villa Grün presents, in more than 20 rooms, objects and detailed recreations of industrial and craft production in the Dill region. The basement also houses an extensive multimedia exhibition on mining.

Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests

When looking for accommodation in Mittenaar, you can first decide whether hiking or local cultural history will be your main focus. For hiking trails, features such as difficulty, elevation gain, markings and routes through the villages provide different points of reference. The local history museums in Bicken and Offenbach, along with the wall paintings in Ballersbach, offer their own starting points for days spent exploring local culture.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Leun, Lahnau, Breitscheid, Schöffengrund, Dillenburg, Siegbach, Herborn, Eschenburg.

Back to the wider travel guide: Lahn-Dill-Kreis.