Berghausen: Discover the Heart Path and Half-Timbered Houses

Berghausen invites you to experience hiking and local history as two distinct ways of exploring the area. The Heart Path of Peace begins near the village; half-timbered houses and a three-sided farmstead point to further chapters in local history. When planning your trip, it may therefore be important to decide whether the focus should be on the hiking trail or on the history of the buildings and village.

Hiking the Heart Path of Peace

Berghausen is the starting area for the 8.7-kilometre Heart Path of Peace, a themed pilgrimage trail with 13 stations. Its heart-shaped route is marked by information boards with reflections, wooden seating, and other heart-shaped wooden features. The first station is in Berghausen, at the old bridge, which is designated a natural monument. A tourism brochure published in 2019 describes the trail as easy and usable year-round, and highlights its route through the Dörsbach valley and distant views across the Taunus. Sturdy footwear is recommended; check trail conditions locally.

Half-Timbered Houses and Historic Buildings

At Hauptstraße 11 stands a half-timbered house with decorative slatework dating from 1857 (monuments register, as of 8 June 2026). The farmhouse and outbuildings of a three-sided farmstead stand at Kirchstraße 4; the half-timbered house there dates from the 18th century. A quarry-stone stable with an open-sided porch also stands at Kirchstraße 4. The house at Panngasse 1 is partly solid-built and half-timbered, plastered or clad in slate, and probably dates from the 17th or 18th century. The listed two-arched bridge over the Dörsbach, southwest of the built-up area, is made of quarry stone and bricks and dates from the 19th century.

Berghausen’s History and Traditions

Berghausen is thought to have originated between the 8th and 9th centuries: the village is said to have begun as a resting place on an old ridgeway. The oldest surviving houses in Berghausen date from the 18th century. The surrounding ore mines, where Berghausen residents worked, were also part of historical life in the area. According to local tradition, the spring of the Mattebach in the rural area of Berghausen is credited with healing properties for eye conditions. A mineral spring in Berghausen’s cadastral area was developed into a mineral-water fountain in 1912–1913.

The Wider Rhein-Lahn Region

The wider travel destination of Rhein-Lahn includes the Rhein-Lahn district’s area on the right bank of the Rhine at the mouth of the Lahn, the Lahn valley as far as just short of Limburg near Diez, the southern foothills of the Westerwald leading down to the Lahn valley, and the northern Taunus uplands between the Rhine and the Aar. The Roman Limes runs through the district; its visible remains belong to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes. These regional connections complement the picture of Berghausen’s own hiking and local history without replacing it.

Plan Your Stay in Berghausen

This distinction gives your accommodation search a clear framework and helps you plan the pace you want for your stay.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Ebertshausen, Gutenacker, Niedertiefenbach, Rettert, Herold.

Go to the overview of the wider travel region: Katzenelnbogen.