Discover Lollar: Churches, Industrial Heritage and Views

If you are looking for a hotel for a visit to Lollar, you can start by deciding what you want to focus on during your trip: churches and architectural history, remnants of the iron industry, or scenery and boat trips. The Lumda flows through Lollar and joins the Lahn nearby. The town’s sights tell different stories—from Romanesque and Late Gothic churches to an industrial monument and a panoramic view that depends on the weather.

Churches and architectural history in the districts

The Evangelical Church in Odenhausen is a Romanesque building dating from around the 11th century and is a Hessian cultural monument. The eastern polygonal choir dates from the 15th century, while the Baroque roof turret was added in the 18th century. The church is the oldest building in the town and one of the oldest churches in the district of Gießen. Several periods of history thus come together in a single building.

In Salzböden, the church was built as a fortified tower in the 13th century. It served both religious and defensive purposes. Ruttershausen offers a different architectural style: on Kirchberg, east of the Lahn, stands a Late Gothic hall church of art-historical importance, regarded as the town’s main attraction. These three churches offer a chance to compare different architectural forms and historical functions.

Industrial heritage and art in Lollar

In the town centre stands the blast-furnace charging tower built by Buderus. It is a preserved industrial monument and a remnant of a blast furnace. Locally, the tower is known as the “water tower.” Its name and industrial history are part of the same striking structure.

The Iron Foundry Workers’ Monument offers a different perspective: it is an iron casting made by sculptor Walter Schubert and cast by the Buderus company. The Schmaadlecker Fountain also offers a distinctive glimpse of local design; it can be seen in front of the Art Nouveau building that once housed the pharmacy. Together, these sights show different aspects of Lollar’s history—from the blast furnace to iron casting and Art Nouveau architecture.

Panoramic views and things to do

In good weather, the view from Altenberg in Odenhausen reaches as far as the Vogelsberg and the Gladenbach Uplands, as well as the two university towns of Gießen and Marburg. The view offers a different focus from the town’s buildings and monuments, turning your gaze to the surrounding landscape and towns.

In Lollar’s district of Salzböden, Schmelz Mill is a place to visit with a beer garden set in a natural setting. In Ruttershausen, a barbecue hut with a barbecue area sits at the edge of the forest and can accommodate up to 30 people. This capacity gives you a concrete guide when planning for a group.

Options for activities on the water from Lollar include guided boat trips with Loganatours and rentals of kayaks, canoes, paddle boats or pedal boats. If you would like to plan a trip or hire a particular type of boat, check availability for your dates in advance.

More topics in the wider Gießen destination

The wider destination of Gießen offers its own cultural and nature-related attractions. The Gießen Refugee Reception Centre Learning and Memorial Site houses an exhibition that opened in June 2025 about fleeing, arrival and starting over, connecting personal stories with broader historical contexts. The Botanical Garden of Justus Liebig University Giessen is Germany’s oldest university botanical garden; its historic sections are still part of the garden today.

The 7.2 km art trail in Gießen runs from Ludwigsplatz through the Philosophikum I and II campus areas along the Gießener Kunstweg, past the edge of the Law and Science campus area to the Luther Oak and the Old Cemetery, and back to its starting point at the Dachcafé high-rise. The “Quellmoor near Rödgen” walk leads into the Aschborn and Uderborn nature reserve between Gießen and Rödgen. The train station is also a key point of reference in Gießen: it is the central rail hub of the GießenerLand region and has long-distance train services.

Discover more destinations: Reiskirchen, Hungen, Lich, Langgöns, Wettenberg, Staufenberg, Gießen, Buseck.

Back to the main travel overview: Gießen.