Wettenberg between the Forest Nature Trail, Wißmar Lake and outdoor pool

Wettenberg offers several clearly distinct options for a stay: a marked forest nature trail, a circular route through the forest, a restored lake landscape and an outdoor pool with several different pools. If you are looking for a hotel in Wettenberg, you can start by considering which of these themes you want your stay to focus on. The differences lie in the route layout, the landscape and the leisure facilities; they provide a concrete basis for organising your plans.

Trails and landscapes in Wettenberg

The 4 km-long Wettenberg Forest Nature Trail is a marked path between the Gleiberger Land secondary school and the tennis court in Krofdorf. Along the route, numerous trees and shrubs have nameplates. The labelled trees and shrubs make the plants themselves the focus of the trail; its length, markings and two endpoints describe its route.

The Natura Trail in the Krofdorf Forest has a different route layout: this circular route starts and ends at the Wettenberg car park at the valuable timber storage site. The forest nature trail has two different endpoints, while the Natura Trail loops back to its starting point. This makes it easy to distinguish whether you want to include a path between two named places or a circular route in your plans.

Wißmar Lake lies in a loop of the Lahn surrounded by forest and meadows. It is a former gravel pit lake: after gravel extraction ended, the site was restored and developed into a recreation area. Its present-day landscape thus combines its former use for gravel extraction with the surrounding natural environment. Unlike the two trails, the focus here is not on a route but on the development and design of a landscape area.

Outdoor pool and leisure facilities

The “Gleiberger Land” outdoor pool is in Wettenberg-Krofdorf-Gleiberg and offers several different pools: the swimming pool is 33.5 metres long; there are also two diving towers, 1 and 3 metres high, as well as a non-swimmer pool and a children’s pool with slides. Other facilities are also specifically listed: the complex includes an 18,000 m² sunbathing lawn and a beach volleyball court. There are also facilities for table tennis and giant chess. This makes the outdoor pool different from the trail and landscape destinations, combining swimming pools with other leisure activities.

More topics in the wider Gießen destination

The wider Gießen destination also offers distinct cultural, garden and walking themes. The Gießen Reception Camp Learning and Memorial Site houses an exhibition, opened in June 2025, about flight, arrival and new beginnings. It connects personal stories with broader historical contexts. The Botanical Garden of Justus Liebig University Giessen offers a different historical perspective: it is Germany’s oldest university botanical garden, and its old sections are still part of the garden today.

If you are interested in a longer walk, Gießen has the 7.2 km-long Art Trail. It runs from Ludwigsplatz via the Philosophikum I and II campus areas and the Gießen Art Trail, past the edge of the Law and Science campus area, to the Luther Oak and the Old Cemetery, then back to its starting point at the Dachcafé tower block. The “Quellmoor near Rödgen” walk leads into the Aschborn and Uderborn nature reserve between Gießen and Rödgen. Gießen railway station is also a reference point for getting your bearings in the region: it is the central railway hub of GießenerLand and has a long-distance rail connection.

Discover more destinations: Grünberg, Pohlheim, Biebertal, Langgöns, Lollar, Buseck, Laubach, Staufenberg

Back to the wider travel overview: Gießen.