Wittmar – History and Hiking Trails at the Asse

Historic buildings, archaeological traces and hiking opportunities at the Asse give Wittmar a distinctive character. When choosing accommodation, you can first consider whether you would prefer to focus on the town’s history or on hikes in the surrounding area.

Historic buildings and their different roles

The Bismarck Tower was built in 1901; from here, the view extends to the Harz foothills. Its construction date and far-reaching view give the tower two distinct aspects. In the Asse Forest near Wittmar, the forester’s building is a listed monument and has been the residence of the forester of the Asse since 1835. A defensive tower in Wittmar is now used as a residence. In this way, views, heritage protection and present-day residential use offer different perspectives on the history of the buildings.

From the castle to early history

Asseburg Castle in Wittmar is the ruin of a hilltop castle built in 1218 and destroyed in 1492. The medieval church no longer has a church tower; it was taken down around the turn of the century. A much earlier period is represented by Wittmar’s Early Neolithic burial ground, which includes burials from the Linear Pottery and Rössen cultures. Archaeology and medieval buildings thus offer two different ways to explore Wittmar’s history.

Hiking and navigation at the Asse

An old orchard meadow lies to the right of the path from the large car park at the Assewirtschaft, via Liebesallee, towards the Bismarck Tower. Another hiking option leads around Röhrberg to the northern Muschelkalk ridge; the return route follows Teichweg and crosses the grounds of the former Asse I mine to the “Waldhaus Asse.” The nature trail starts at the “Waldhaus Asse” car park above Wittmar. The additional hike passes several landscape and terrain features, while the nature trail has a clearly marked starting point. When choosing, you can consider whether you would prefer to navigate by landmarks along the route or by a clearly named starting point.

The “Waldhaus zur Asse” inn has also been a popular excursion destination for 150 years. Its long tradition as an outing destination adds another local highlight to the historic buildings and hiking trails.

More cultural and nature topics in the wider Wolfenbüttel destination

The wider Wolfenbüttel destination offers further cultural attractions. Wolfenbüttel Palace developed from a medieval moated castle and is the second-largest palace in Lower Saxony. The Herzog August Library was founded in 1572 and is considered the “eighth wonder of the world.” Wolfenbüttel’s historic half-timbered old town has around 1,000 half-timbered houses.

For sweeping landscape views, the wider Wolfenbüttel destination also includes Elm-Lappwald Nature Park. It spans the districts of Wolfenbüttel and Helmstedt and covers 470 square kilometres of extensive forests, valleys, protected wetlands, heathland, spring-fed streams and small lakes. Its network of hiking trails covers around 500 km and includes signposted circular routes, car parks and shelters. Away from major roads, the nature park invites visitors to hike, cycle and explore. Unlike the specific trails around Wittmar, the focus here is on the vastness of a larger natural area—a different scale for planning your trip.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Denkte, Baddeckenstedt, Sickte, Kissenbrück, Heiningen, Achim, Dorstadt, Dettum.

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