Discover Bechenheim

Bechenheim combines a long local history with a range of ideas for active days. The historic church, early settlement traces and walks in the Vorholz forest each offer something different. This lets you include both history and outdoor activity in your travel plans.

The Church and Early Local History

The historic church was built in 1755 and has been shared by the Protestant and Catholic congregations since 1822. Its seven-metre-high roof turret was added in 1994. The written record of the town also goes back a long way: Bechenheim was first mentioned in 824 in a donation to Fulda Abbey. A royal estate with a farmstead is documented here for the year 855.

Archaeological Traces

Finds from the Neolithic Hinkelstein culture are associated with Bechenheim. A Roman findspot yielded weapons, tools, pottery and coins. In 1928, a Roman habitation site near Bechenheim was discovered in the vicinity of a cremation grave. A search for water that same year also revealed a pre-Roman dwelling site in the Bechenheim section of the Vorholz forest; its precise date remains unclear. A Frankish burial ground is considered evidence of a Frankish settlement around 500 AD. Together, these different traces bring the town’s history across several eras to life.

Finds from the Vorholz forest also tell of earlier times: in 1879, two burial mounds in the Haag area of the Vorholz forest were opened. Vessels and stone tools were found there. The remains can no longer be identified today.

Hiking and Kneipp Facilities

A hike on the Kneipp-Napoleon Trail on 12 September 2021 began in Bechenheim and led through the Vorholz State Forest. The approximately eight-kilometre route was rated moderate; Kappelberg and Napoleonstein were stops along the way. If planning a visit today, check the current route and conditions.

The Hiwweltour Vorholz opened near Offenheim on 16 May 2026. The 11.9-kilometre hiking trail passes through one of the largest forest areas in Rheinhessen; shady paths, historic traces and views across the hilly landscape characterise the route. At the start of the Hiwweltour, next to the Vorholz forestry lodge, there is a Kneipp footbath where you can relax after your hike by walking through the water. The offer runs from 7 January 2026 to 7 January 2030. Check access details before your visit.

The Kneipp garden offers a different kind of experience: it includes a barefoot spiral, as well as a pavilion and benches where you can sit and relax. Alongside longer walks, there are also places to pause and unwind.

Cycling Through Hills and Valleys

The Vorholz Loop is a suggested cycling route approximately 18 kilometres long. It passes through Nack, Erbes-Büdesheim, Offenheim, Bechenheim and Nieder-Wiesen before returning to Nack. The route is considered challenging, runs over hills and through valleys, and skirts the Vorholz forest. The loop’s finest views are found at the forest’s edge. Check the current route and conditions before setting off.

The tours described here differ in their starting points, lengths and activities, giving you specific ideas for planning your trip.

A Regional Museum Visit in Alzey-Worms

In the wider travel destination of Alzey-Worms, the Museum of the City of Alzey offers a broader perspective on the region’s history. Its prehistoric and early history exhibition traces the cultural development of central Rheinhessen from the Neolithic through the Bronze, Iron and Roman ages to the Merovingian period—a span of more than 6,000 years. The museum also preserves a cast of a Neolithic shoe-last celt. A separate geology and palaeontology exhibition focuses on the Mainz Basin; its development over millions of years can be traced through minerals, especially fossils.

Discover more destinations: Flonheim, Offenheim, Nieder-Wiesen, Biebelnheim, Gau-Odernheim, Kettenheim, Freimersheim, Erbes-Büdesheim.

View the wider travel guide: Alzey.