Discover Battenhausen

Battenhausen’s history is reflected above all in its settlement pattern: the village developed around the church and retains a densely parceled structure at its center. Large farmsteads on the outskirts and numerous agricultural residential and utility buildings shape its appearance. Many of these buildings date from the late 18th century and later periods. The village’s development can therefore be read not only in a single building, but in the interplay of church, plots and farmsteads.

A village shaped around the church

The combination of a densely parceled center and large farm complexes on the outskirts gives Battenhausen a clearly recognizable architectural framework. The agricultural residential and utility buildings are just as much a part of the village’s appearance as the farmsteads. Those interested in historic village structures will find concrete clues here to how a village developed around its church and what traces agriculture left in its built environment. The buildings date from different periods, with the documented architectural history extending back to the late 18th century.

Medieval heritage in Haina (Kloster)

The wider destination of Haina (Kloster) has its own cultural focus. The monastery is one of the best-preserved Cistercian monasteries in Germany and one of the country’s historically significant medieval monastic complexes. The Cistercian abbey includes an Early Gothic hall church, a cloister and historic monastic rooms. The complex therefore encompasses more than the church alone: the cloister and monastic rooms are also defining parts of the monastery.

A distinctive historical detail is the monastery’s bronze hare bell. It was probably cast between 1227 and 1230, during the monastery’s founding period. The birthplace of the painter Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein (1751–1829) has also been preserved by the monastery wall in Haina. The Friends of Haina Monastery association presents changing annual exhibitions on the work of the Tischbein dynasty of artists in a side room of the cloister. Haina thus offers a glimpse of both medieval monastic architecture and the history of this family of artists.

Gardens, forests and hiking trails in Haina (Kloster)

The landscape of the wider destination of Haina (Kloster) also bears traces of history. Much of the former abbey’s extensive woodland has been preserved. In 1533, Landgrave Philipp converted it into endowment forests. In 1789, Friedrich von Stamford began creating an English landscape garden around the former monastery. A five-kilometer hiking trail through the Stamford Garden passes several viewpoints and an avenue. The Stamford Garden and the Tischbein Trail are open year-round; sturdy footwear is recommended for both.

Haina lies in Kellerwald Nature Park between Lake Edersee, Marburg and Bad Wildungen. For longer hikes, the 164-kilometer Kellerwald Trail is on a different scale from the path through the garden. This quality hiking trail runs through Kellerwald-Edersee Nature Park and connects forests, meadows, streams, historic castles, villages, Lake Edersee and Kellerwald-Edersee National Park. The two trail lengths offer a concrete comparison between a single five-kilometer walk and an extensive hiking route. On the section through Haina, the Kellerwald Trail detours around a new Vitos Clinic building via an orchard meadow and the Old Cemetery. Check the current trail signs before setting out.

Choose the right base

You can then compare the location of a specific accommodation with the places and trails you want to visit.

View the wider travel overview: Haina.