Schimberg: Hiking and Local History in Martinfeld
Accommodation in Schimberg
Martinfeld shows how varied a stay in Schimberg can be: the TOP Hiking Trail Westerwald offers exercise and scenery, while the water-powered GrabenmĂĽhle, the Catholic Church of St. Ursula and Her Companions, and Martinfeld Castle are examples of different historic buildings. When planning your trip, you can therefore take both nature and local history into account.
Hiking the TOP Hiking Trail Westerwald
The TOP Hiking Trail Westerwald is a circular hiking route that starts and ends at the hiking car park by the Landhaus Westerwald in Martinfeld. Check current trail conditions before setting off to ensure your plans suit the route.
Along the way, the route passes the Martinfelder Fenster and Ershäuser Fenster viewpoints and bubbling streams such as the lime-sinter springs in the Wagental valley. The viewpoints and waterways add different scenic features to the loop.
Martinfeld’s Mill, Church and Castle
The Grabenmühle in Martinfeld is a surviving water-powered mill dating from the 16th century. Its water power gives the building a technical dimension and adds a specific form of use to the town’s history.
Two construction dates also give local history a sense of shape: the Catholic Church of St. Ursula and Her Companions was built in 1723; Martinfeld Castle was built in 1611 as a manor house. The different dates mark distinct points in history rather than placing both buildings in a single era.
Martinfeld Castle is offered as self-catering accommodation for individual travelers and groups.
When choosing the focus of your trip, two different sides of Martinfeld come into view: the circular trail and its scenery, and the local history reflected in different ways by the mill, church and castle. The castle combines a historic landmark with a specific accommodation option.
The Eichsfeld region from another perspective
Other cultural sites in the wider Eichsfeld travel destination complement the themes found in Martinfeld. Bodenstein Castle was first mentioned in official records in 1098 and stands on a mountain spur of the Ohmgebirge range. Regular guided tours explore the history of the former lords of the castle, the von Wintzingerode family; visitors can also visit the small chapel with its baptismal angel. Check the current tour dates in advance.
The Eichsfeld Museum in the Baroque Jesuit college in Heilbad Heiligenstadt offers a different perspective. Across three floors, it provides information about the history, culture, religion and folklore of the Eichsfeld region. While the buildings in Martinfeld offer individual local points of interest, the museum looks at the region as a whole.
A tradition tied to a particular day may also be of interest when planning your trip: every year on Easter Monday, the Steckenpferd-Reiten (hobbyhorse riding) takes place around St. Mary’s Church in Dingelstädt. Preschool children ride wooden horses decorated with little bells and colorful ribbons. The custom is a specific reason to travel around Easter and offers a different focus from hiking and local history in Martinfeld.
Discover more destinations: Helmsdorf, Bodenrode-Westhausen, Lindewerra, KĂĽllstedt, Wachstedt, Sonnenstein, Heilbad Heiligenstadt, BĂĽttstedt.
Go to the main travel overview: Eichsfeld.
