Discover Usseln: high moorland, circular trails and culture

Discover Usseln through active trails, protected landscapes and regional history. The Milk Adventure Trail brings agriculture to life with quizzes and hands-on stations; the high moorland at Kahler Pön and Osterkopf and other habitats are also highlights. There are also circular trails, an outdoor swimming pool open seasonally, a local history museum and St Kilian's Church. Depending on your interests, you can make nature, exercise or culture the focus of your stay.

High moorland and protected landscapes

The Kahle Pön area near Usseln has been a nature reserve since 1987. The high moorland at Kahler Pön provides a habitat for rare native plant species that are at risk of becoming endangered. East of Usseln, the Osterkopf Nature Reserve includes montane dwarf-shrub heath, adjoining mountain meadows and mat-grass grassland. While Kahler Pön is noted for its habitat for rare and endangered plants, several named landscape types shape the scenery at Osterkopf.

The Osterkopf Nature Reserve is easily reached from the Catholic church in Usseln via the Osterkopf circular trail. A specific circular trail is therefore also named for this natural area.

Circular trails around Usseln

The U2 is a 3.6 km circular trail around Hoher Pön. The access route and return from the Usseln Tourist Information Centre follow the same route as the U1 or, in part, the Uplandsteig. Trail conditions can vary by season, so take the time of year into account when planning your hike.

The U1 starts and ends at the Usseln hiking car park, Sportstraße 7, 34508 Willingen, Usseln district. Check the current parking situation and local regulations before setting out, as these may change. This gives you both a named start and finish point and a clear address for orientation.

Hands-on trail and outdoor swimming pool

The 6 km Usseln Milk Adventure Trail is a family-friendly themed trail about milk and agriculture. Quizzes and unusual hands-on stations add variety along the way; the hay-barn cinema shows films about agriculture. There is also a telescope station, a photo point and a cow-pat trampoline. Places to stop for refreshments and rest are available too. The trail ends with a visit to the Muhseum Café at the Upländer dairy cooperative. Questions, films, observing and hands-on activities offer different ways to explore the subject of agriculture.

The Usseln outdoor swimming pool is open seasonally. It has a 25 m waterslide and diving towers at heights of 1 m and 3 m. A separate baby pool with colourful play equipment completes the facilities. Plan your visit around the season.

A glimpse into history and culture

The Usseln Local History Museum offers insights across more than 250 m² into life, history and culture in the Waldeck Upland, as well as the nature and landscape of the present-day Diemelsee Nature Park. Numerous exhibits illustrate everyday life in the past, the hard work and the customs of the time. Alongside nature, the focus is also on regional history and everyday life in times gone by.

St Kilian's Church in Usseln is described as the mother church of the Upland. Together with the insights offered by the local history museum, it adds a church-history perspective to the focus on nature and hiking.

In the wider destination of Willingen (Upland)

The Uplandsteig is a 66 km certified quality hiking trail. It loops around the municipality of Willingen (Upland) and passes through all nine districts. The landscapes along the trail include mixed, beech and fir forests, as well as open farmland, flowering meadows and marshland.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Schwalefeld, Bömighausen, Eimelrod, Neerdar, Rattlar, Welleringhausen.

Back to the main travel overview: Willingen.