Discover Eppenhain

If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Eppenhain, architectural history, nature and hiking trails can help guide your choice of destination. These topics offer different points of interest: St. Joseph’s Parish Church and a former inn tell the story of the village, the Atzelberg Tower offers views, and circular hiking trail R9 descends to Eppenhain along its route. This can help you decide whether you are most interested in historic buildings, nature or a hiking route.

Church architecture and local history

The Catholic parish church of St. Joseph was built in 1908. Stone from Eppenhain’s quarries and basalt from the Westerwald were used in its construction. The distinctive entrance is reached by a steep, covered staircase. Three altars from the time of construction have been preserved, as have the colourful windows. The choice of materials and the preserved furnishings give the church several distinctive historical details that tell a story beyond its year of construction.

Another glimpse into local history can be found at the former “Zum Taunus” inn at Wirtsstraße 3. It is considered the oldest house in Eppenhain because the vaulted cellars beneath it probably date back to the Middle Ages. The presumed date of the vaults should be distinguished from the building’s former use as an inn: together, the address, the building’s history and the cellar make the house distinctive.

Atzelberg Tower and hiking route

The 27-metre-high Atzelberg Tower is the landmark of the Eppenhain district in Kelkheim (Taunus). From its viewing platform, the panorama takes in prominent Taunus peaks and Königstein Castle. This sets the tower apart from the historical details of the parish church as a viewpoint: here, the focus is on the surrounding landscape.

Another hiking option is circular trail R9 at Rettershof. Along its route, it descends to Eppenhain, passing the cemetery and war memorial before continuing via Rossertstraße to Nickelskreuz. These named waypoints give a concrete impression of the route through Eppenhain.

Nature in Eppenhain

The Rossert-Hainkopf-Dachsbau FFH area also extends across the Eppenhain district. Its conservation objectives include near-natural, structurally diverse woodrush beech forests. These feature standing and fallen deadwood, trees with cavities, and tree species typical of the habitat in different stages of development and age. This nature focus is not on a single viewpoint, but on the diversity of forest structures and their conservation.

More nature and cultural attractions in Kelkheim (Taunus)

The wider destination of Kelkheim (Taunus) also offers other nature-related attractions. The Sindlinger Wiesen nature trail, also known as Stadtpark, runs for around 700 metres alongside the Liederbach in Kelkheim-Mitte. The Gundelhardt forest nature trail is approximately 500 metres long and features 83 different trees and shrubs, predominantly native deciduous and coniferous species. The two descriptions have different focuses: one trail is defined by its route alongside the Liederbach, while the other showcases a variety of trees and shrubs.

Cultural attractions in the wider destination of Kelkheim (Taunus) also add to the region’s appeal. The Kelkheim Museum displays historical furniture from Kelkheim’s furniture-making industry, a record of the 100-year history of Kelkheim’s carpentry workshops, and a historic workshop. The monastery and parish church of St. Francis was built in 1908/1909 together with the Franciscan monastery in the Neo-Romanesque style.

For hikes in this regional context, Kelkheim is the starting point for the quality hiking trail “Taunus Schinderhannes Steig”; its trail markers begin at the historic Hof Gimbach. The certified trail is well marked in both directions. This regional route is an additional hiking option, while R9 follows the route described above down to Eppenhain. Local history and hiking destinations in the wider area of Kelkheim (Taunus) can therefore be considered as separate points of interest.

For the overview of the wider destination: Kelkheim.