Bilkheim: Hallstatt history, Backes Festival and cycling route

There are three very different ways to get to know Bilkheim: its early history, the annual Backes Festival and a cycling route that passes through the village. Together, they offer different starting points for planning your visit—whether you are more interested in local history, a tradition or a bike ride.

Early history and architecture

Bilkheim’s history includes a burial ground from the late Hallstatt period, with 30 barrows and flat graves. The burial ground itself can no longer be seen today; an information board provides historical information and shows images of the finds. Here, archaeological traces that are no longer visible are presented alongside images of them.

North of Bilkheim, on the road from Salz to Herschbach, stands a small walled wayside shrine dating from the 19th century. Its niche has a pointed gable. Also north of the village, on the road to Salz, is the wayside chapel. It is built of masonry, has a half-timbered gable and probably dates from the second half of the 18th century. Their different gable styles and construction dates bring two distinct chapters of historic architecture to life.

Backes Festival and cycling route

At the annual Backes Festival, Bilkheim’s bakehouse opens for traditional bread baking in a stone oven. If the festival is the reason for your visit, check the event date and relevant festival details in advance; the festival programme may vary.

The 5-Seen cycling route also passes through Bilkheim, running from Dorndorf through the village to Wallmerod. In the wider Westerwald destination, the route connects the Secker Weiher, Wiesensee, Hahner Waldsee, Seeweiher von Mengerskirchen and Krombachtalsperre. Its scope therefore extends beyond the stretch through Bilkheim, taking in several lakes and reservoirs. If you are planning a bike ride, check the latest route information and any possible diversions before setting off.

In the wider Westerwald destination

If you are looking for more travel ideas beyond Bilkheim, the wider Westerwald destination also offers longer hiking routes. The WesterwaldSteig is 235 kilometres long and divided into 16 stages. For stage planning, consult the current route planner. A long-distance hike is a different kind of trip from a single bike ride through Bilkheim.

Nature and geological history take centre stage at Stöffel Park. The approximately 140-hectare site of a former basalt quarry combines industrial heritage, geological history and nature. The TERTIÄRUM features fossils, including the famous “Stöffel Mouse”, which document around 25 million years of geological history. The approximately one-kilometre-long Holzbach Gorge offers a different kind of landscape: a gorge in the Westerwald with basalt walls up to 30 metres high.

The Westerwald also offers different ways to discover its culture. In Hachenburg, restored half-timbered houses around the Alter Markt shape the historic townscape; the Löwenbrunnen is part of its atmosphere. The Westerwald Ceramic Museum is devoted to the history of working with clay. In its museum workshop, visitors can get creative themselves under expert guidance. Before planning your visit, check the current workshop offerings and booking conditions.

When looking for accommodation in Bilkheim, it helps to decide first what brings you here: the date of the Backes Festival or a planned ride on the 5-Seen cycling route. If you also include destinations in the wider Westerwald destination, you can compare the location of a particular place to stay with the destinations you have chosen.

Discover more destinations: Wied, Welschneudorf, Giesenhausen, Nordhofen, Atzelgift, Alpenrod, Korb, Meudt

To the wider travel overview: Westerwald.