Discover Mernes

Mernes lies in the Jossa Valley in the Hessian Spessart Nature Park and is officially recognised as a health resort. The town combines opportunities for active days outdoors with Kneipp facilities and notable evidence of its history. Which accommodation is right for you therefore also depends on whether you mainly want to hike, cycle, experience nature or discover architectural heritage during your stay.

Relaxation and activities in Mernes

Leisure facilities in Mernes include a spring-fed outdoor swimming pool, a barefoot trail and a Kneipp facility. The outdoor pool is open seasonally; check the latest operating information before visiting. The barefoot trail has ten stations with different surfaces, ranging from sand and stepping stones across a water crossing to clay shards. You can include the barefoot trail when planning a day outdoors. The Kneipp facility offers another focus on water-based treatments.

Hiking trails and cycling tours

Long-distance hiking routes that pass through Mernes include the Spessartbogen Premium Hiking Trail and the historic Eselsweg. The Spessartbogen reaches Mernes via the Jossa Valley and Stacken. If you would like to combine hiking with a longer bike ride, you could also consider the “Rhönblick” mountain bike route: it starts in Mernes, is about 32 kilometres long and includes viewpoints such as Stacken. The hiking trails and designated mountain bike route offer different ways to explore the surrounding area; checking current trail and route information can help with planning.

A motorhome pitch in Mernes is geared towards hiking and cycling in the nature park. When choosing accommodation, you can consider which focus you want your trip to have. For hiking days, the routes of the Spessartbogen and Eselsweg are useful points of reference; for a mountain bike tour, starting in Mernes is a practical advantage. If you would rather combine different interests, the town also offers nature activities and historic sights.

Waterworks, church and cultural route

One Art Nouveau industrial monument in Mernes is the waterworks, dating from 1913/14. St Peter’s Parish Church also offers insight into the town’s architectural history: it dates from the 17th century, was extended in 1934 and contains an altar of significant art-historical value. The two buildings offer contrasting points of interest: the waterworks represent industrial history, while the church brings together its long history and a notable altar.

Mernes also lies on the approximately 25-kilometre-long “Pearls of the Jossa” cultural route. Its name recalls the former abundance of freshwater pearl mussels in the area. Along with the buildings, the route gives you a reason to plan your stay around an interest in local history as well as activities.

Bad Soden-Salmünster as a wider travel destination

The wider travel destination of Bad Soden-Salmünster offers additional attractions to complement Mernes’s local and nature-focused experiences. Bad Soden-Salmünster spa gardens border the Kinzig floodplains and the Spessart Therme; they include a multi-generational park and a fountain garden. In 2006, a small graduation tower was built at the edge of the spa gardens next to the sauna complex at the Spessart Therme. Since then, brine from the König-Heinrich spring has trickled over a blackthorn wall. The Spessart Therme brings together thermal brine, a sauna, and health and wellness facilities.

Hiking and culture are also part of Bad Soden-Salmünster. The “Stolzenberger Ritterblick” Spessart Trail is seven kilometres long, designated as a premium hiking trail and also a family adventure trail. In Salmünster’s historic old town, the local history museum, housed in a half-timbered building with a barn, presents life around 1900. The Schleifrashof there is a former fief whose history dates back to the 13th century. At the site of the former Lower Gate, the “Wilde Biene” adventure playground commemorates the “Brave Women of Salmünster”, while a wayside shrine recalls the arrival of the Franciscan monks in the 17th century. You can tailor your trip to different interests: trails and nature, wellness facilities or historic sites.

For the wider travel overview: Bad Soden-Salmünster.