Seligenstadt between the Basilica, Monastery and Einhard Way

If you are looking for hotels in Seligenstadt, you can plan your stay around its historic sites or the Einhard Way. The Einhard Basilica, the former monastery, and the hiking and cycling trails offer different options for planning your trip. A guided tour, the ferry across the Main, and local events may also play a part in choosing your destination.

Church and monastery: Discover Seligenstadt’s history

The Einhard Basilica is one of the most significant churches from the Carolingian period on German soil. Einhard had the three-aisled church built around 830 as a burial place for the early Christian martyrs Marcellinus and Peter. It is the only Carolingian church north of the Alps where liturgical services are still held today.

Today, Seligenstadt Monastery is a Baroque ensemble with a garden, offering a glimpse into monastic life in the 17th and 18th centuries. The former monastery is one of the few monastic complexes in Hesse to have survived almost completely intact; the grounds are surrounded by a monastery wall around 700 metres long. A tour of the exhibition rooms, especially the prelature, offers a chance to experience the monastery’s 18th-century furnishings.

Cultural attractions in the wider destination of Offenbach

The wider destination of Offenbach also includes cultural sites in Seligenstadt. The RegioMuseum showcases prehistory and early history, folklore and crafts, as well as 15th- to 18th-century painting and sculpture. It also features exhibitions on the history of the town and Seligenstadt Abbey. The Palatium was built on the Main during the Hohenstaufen period and was probably constructed by Emperor Barbarossa as a hunting lodge.

The free “Stolpersteine” tour offers another way to explore the town’s history. It begins at the Jewish cemetery and follows selected Stolpersteine—memorial cobblestones—to various stops and stories about the lives of Seligenstadt’s Jewish residents. The tour is open to everyone. Check the latest route details in advance.

The Einhard Way and a guided tour

The 60-kilometre Einhard Way is marked with a white “E” on a red background and can be walked in either direction. In the Odenwald, the route splits. The branch via Höchst is shorter and easier, and is also suitable for cyclists. The two routes rejoin near Mosbach and lead hikers and cyclists to Seligenstadt.

In the wider destination of Offenbach, the guided “In die Sommerfrische” (“A Summer Retreat”) walk complements this longer route with a tour of around 3.5 kilometres: from the monastery, the path follows the Main to the moated castle and introduces visitors to the history of the former Benedictine abbey. The walk can be booked; confirm current availability before your trip.

Getting there by ferry and train

The Seligenstadt passenger and car ferry connects the Hessian and Bavarian banks of the Main. If you plan to use it to cross the river, check operating details in advance. The Odenwaldbahn connects Seligenstadt with the Odenwald, Hanau and Frankfurt. For your specific journey, it is advisable to check the latest timetable.

Market and brewery tour

The historic Guild and Crafts Market is held every two years on a weekend in May in the historic setting of the former Benedictine abbey in Seligenstadt on the Main. Check the specific event dates when planning your trip.

Glaabsbräu in Seligenstadt offers brewery tours that end with a tasting of a Glaabs beer. Booking and operating details may change; check them before your visit. This makes it easy to plan your trip around a cultural programme, a route or a local attraction.

Discover more destinations: Dudenhofen, Rödermark, Egelsbach, Langen, Mühlheim am Main, Obertshausen, Rodgau, Neu-Isenburg

Return to the overview of the wider destination: Offenbach.