Bad Zwesten: Hiking, Spa Park and Culture

Bad Zwesten offers several distinct reasons to visit: Nordic walking and circular hiking trails, the ruins of Löwenstein Castle, and art, archaeological sites and attractions in the spa park. Trail lengths, route formats and starting points are useful criteria for planning and comparing your options. The cultural attractions also have their own individual focus – from an open-air sculpture park to an archaeological trail.

Trails and Routes in Bad Zwesten

The certified Bad Zwesten Nordic Walking Park has three trails of varying difficulty, measuring 4.4 km, 8.8 km and 12.5 km. All three start and finish in the spa park by the spa house. This means the starting point is the same for all three routes, while their length and difficulty differ. You can take both factors into account when comparing the trails.

Another option is the 7.5 km Löwenstein Castle circular hiking trail. It starts at the “Urfftal” hikers’ car park by the leisure pond complex in Bad Zwesten-Oberurff-Schiffelborn and has been certified as a “Wanderbares Deutschland – Traumtour” Quality Trail. This offers a contrast between the three Nordic walking trails and a single circular route with its own starting point and certification.

Ruins of Löwenstein Castle and the Kellerwaldsteig

The former 26 m-high keep of the ruins of Löwenstein Castle can be climbed via a total of 82 steps. From the top, you can enjoy views across Bad Zwesten, the Urff Valley, the Löwenstein Basin, the Schwalmpforte and as far as the Knüll Mountains. These named viewpoints give the climb a broad geographical scope: as well as Bad Zwesten, the panorama includes several landscape areas and the Knüll Mountains.

The castle ruins are located directly on the Kellerwaldsteig. This circular hiking trail, around 160 km long, takes in the Kellerwald-Edersee Nature Park. The two hiking routes mentioned differ considerably in length: the Löwenstein Castle trail is 7.5 km long, while the Kellerwaldsteig is around 160 km. You can therefore choose between a shorter circular hike to the castle ruins and a longer trail through the nature park, without treating them as the same route.

Spa Park: Activity, Sound and Trees

The spa park by the spa house is the start and finish point for the Nordic walking trails and also offers bocce and outdoor chess. Along the Sound Experience Trail, visitors can make sounds using musical instruments at twelve installations. The arboretum trail adds to these attractions, with 27 different tree species to see. So, as well as the trails, the spa park offers games, sound installations and a trail showcasing different tree species.

Art and Archaeological Sites

ART-GARTEN is an open-air sculpture park and exhibition venue on the outskirts of Bad Zwesten-Niederurff, in the direction of Neuental-Bischhausen. Its focus on sculptures and open-air exhibitions sets it apart from the hiking trails and attractions in the spa park. Another way to explore the area is the Archaeological Trail, which has 13 stations. From Bad Zwesten, it can be reached via the campsite. This gives you a choice between a sculpture park and an archaeological trail; the campsite is the named starting point for the Archaeological Trail.

Starting the ARS-NATURA Circular Hiking Trail

You can start the ARS-NATURA circular hiking trail either in the spa park by the spa house in Bad Zwesten or at a hikers’ car park between Wenzigerode, a district of Bad Zwesten, and Bad Wildungen. The two starting points are clearly different: one is in the spa park, while the other is at a hikers’ car park between the two named places. As route conditions and trail signage may change, it is advisable to check them before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Wenzigerode, Schrecksbach, Spangenberg, Frielendorf, Gilserberg, Guxhagen, Wabern, Felsberg.

View the main travel guide: Schwalm-Eder District.