Discover Höchheim: History and Landscapes

In Höchheim and the municipality’s other villages, local history, distinctive buildings, and diverse landscapes come together. If you’re looking for a hotel for your trip, you can consider whether you’d like to explore Höchheim’s history, places within the municipality, or other themes in the wider Rhön-Grabfeld destination.

Höchheim’s history and buildings in the municipality

A major turning point in local history came in 1225, when Bishop Otto had Höchheim and its noble residence burned down. A new castle was built later and is still known locally as the “Neubau” (“New Building”). The name recalls the reconstruction after the destruction and gives a historic place a name that remains in use today. Höchheim’s history can thus be traced through a specific event and its later architectural legacy.

Irmelshausen, a village in the municipality of Höchheim, is also home to a distinctive historic building: the moated castle stands on an artificial island in the Milz valley. It is a completely preserved medieval fortress; the tourist description calls it the most beautiful moated castle in Franconia. Irmelshausen also has a two-hectare lake with a bathing beach and areas for campers. This means that the municipality offers both a historic building and a body of water with designated bathing and camping areas as different options to consider when planning your trip. Check the current status of the lake facilities before you travel.

Trails and villages in the municipality of Höchheim

South of Gollmuthhausen, the Malm Trail climbs out of the Milz valley onto the Grabfeld plateau. A magnificent linden tree is visible from afar and marks the end of the climb. The route and landmark offer different perspectives on the same landscape: the trail follows the transition from the valley to the plateau, while the tree provides a striking reference point at the end of the climb.

Gollmuthhausen is also part of the municipality of Höchheim. It has an Evangelical Lutheran church and half-timbered houses. In Rothausen, another village in the municipality, there is a church and a bakehouse. These places add further examples of church and half-timbered architecture, as well as a traditional communal bakehouse, to Höchheim’s local history. Together with the moated castle in Irmelshausen and the “Neubau” in Höchheim, they offer a picture of historic buildings in different parts of the municipality.

More to explore in the wider Rhön-Grabfeld destination

The wider Rhön-Grabfeld destination lies within the Rhön UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Its natural attractions include the Lange Rhön, Bavaria’s largest nature reserve outside the Alps, and the strictly protected Black Moor, designated as a core zone of the biosphere reserve. A wooden boardwalk passes through parts of the Black Moor, with information panels explaining the route. An observation tower offers views of the moor. A nature forest reserve on Gangolfsberg is also part of the core zone. The basalt column wall there formed 30 to 10 million years ago during volcanic activity in the Rhön. You can explore it on the Gangolfsberg nature trail. The trail is about 2.5 kilometers long and requires sturdy footwear; guided group tours are available on request.

Cultural attractions in the wider Rhön-Grabfeld destination offer their own highlights. With its faithfully reconstructed houses and farms, the Franconian Open-Air Museum Fladungen presents 350 years of everyday rural history in Lower Franconia and the Rhön. The museum grounds cover around 12 hectares and contain about 30 historic buildings, including farmsteads, workshops, and a village school. Hands-on activities about crafts and traditions include demonstrations, practical courses, and events; check the dates before your trip. The Rhön-Zügle heritage railway runs through the Streu valley with steam and diesel locomotives. So the region offers not only nature and hiking destinations, but also attractions focused on everyday history, crafts, and railways.

Discover more destinations: Wollbach, Hausen, Fladungen, Sulzdorf, Willmars, Stockheim, Bischofsheim an der Rhön, Unsleben.

Back to the wider travel overview: Rhön-Grabfeld.