Bickenbach

When looking for a hotel for a trip to Bickenbach, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay. In Bickenbach, historic buildings, a place of remembrance and organized cultural activities offer specific points of interest. The wider destination of Darmstadt-Dieburg also opens up a broader landscape and cultural perspective. The following topics distinguish Bickenbach’s history from the attractions and landscapes elsewhere in the district.

Bickenbach’s history at individual sites

The Kolbsches Haus was built in 1584 and is probably the oldest house in the municipality today. It once housed a cooper’s workshop and was an agricultural estate, an inn and a butcher’s shop. This sequence illustrates the changing uses of a single historic building and gives local history more than just a construction date.

The former Bickenbach hunting lodge was built in 1720/21 by Landgrave Ernst Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt. Another historical landmark is the Kaiserstein: it stands in the middle of the forest in Bickenbach’s northern district and is a monument said to commemorate a hunting event from 1745.

Cultural life in Bickenbach

Since 2001, the Culture Working Group has organized and coordinated cultural activities in Bickenbach. If you would like to combine your trip with an event, check the specific dates in advance. This lets you plan around an actual cultural event rather than assuming that a particular event will be taking place.

Darmstadt-Dieburg as a broader setting

The district of Darmstadt-Dieburg includes the Hessian Rhine Plain and the Lower Main Plain, as well as the Messel Hills, the Reinheim Hills, the Vorderer Odenwald and the Sandstone Odenwald. Within the district, the Bergstraße forms a striking transition between the Rhine Plain and the Odenwald. These landscape names show how varied the natural surroundings are across the wider destination.

Routes and natural areas in the district

Darmstadt-Dieburg has an extensive network of well-marked routes for hiking, walking and Nordic walking. For cyclists, themed cycling routes follow the small rivers Modau and Gersprenz; there is also the Genießer cycling route. The family cycling route runs for about 40 kilometers through the district, from Erzhausen to Seeheim-Jugenheim. The approximate distance and named endpoints give you a concrete guide when choosing a route.

The nature reserves also offer varied landscapes. The Reinheimer Teich nature reserve lies in the northwestern foothills of the Odenwald, is surrounded by meadows and fields, and can be enjoyed from a circular path and numerous benches. The Pfungstädter Moor nature reserve consists of three sections, covers around 103 hectares and can be explored along designated trails. The regional offering therefore includes both a circular route with benches and marked trails through a multi-part moorland area.

Geological history and group tours

The Messel Pit UNESCO World Heritage Site is a fossil site with uniquely preserved and diverse fossils that document the history of the Earth’s development 47 million years ago. The Messel Pit visitor center explains the history and significance of Germany’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. This covers a very different timescale from Bickenbach’s architectural history: here, the focus is on the Earth’s history millions of years ago.

In the district of Darmstadt-Dieburg, the town of Groß-Umstadt offers various group tours. From September to October, Rainer Bausch leads tours on the theme of fruit and wine in autumn, which include a wine tasting. Group tours of the Kleine Bergstraße are offered from January to December. The periods differ considerably: the fruit and wine in autumn tour is seasonal, whereas the Kleine Bergstraße tours run from January to December. Check the dates and booking details in advance if you would like to include a tour in your plans.

Discover more destinations: Otzberg, Darmstadt, Mühltal, Griesheim, Seeheim-Jugenheim, Erzhausen, Reinheim, Weiterstadt

Return to the wider travel overview: Darmstadt-Dieburg.