Homberg/Efze: St. Mary’s Church, Hohenburg Castle and Hiking Trails

Homberg/Efze offers several different points of interest when planning a stay: medieval architectural history, Hohenburg Castle and its views, hiking trails, and recurring markets. If you are looking for a hotel in Homberg/Efze, these interests can help you decide which themes to prioritize for your trip.

St. Mary’s Town Church and the Reformation

The Protestant St. Mary’s Town Church is a Gothic architectural monument. Construction of the three-aisled hall church began around 1340. The Homberg Synod is also part of the building’s history: it was held in the town church in 1526. That is why St. Mary’s is also known as the Reformation Church. Its architecture and historical significance can be explored together in one specific place.

A guided climb up the church tower offers a unique view of the town. There are 217 steps to climb, and the tour also includes a visit to the historic tower keeper’s apartment. From there, you can enjoy views over the town. The number of steps and a glimpse inside the tower keeper’s apartment give the tower visit a different focus from viewing the church building from the outside.

Hohenburg Castle, its well and the town’s history

Hohenburg Castle stands on a basalt cone above Homberg/Efze. The views from there extend as far as the Habichtswald, Knüll Nature Park and the forests of Kellerwald-Edersee National Park. One striking feature of the castle is its well: it was once dug 150 metres deep into the basalt, making it one of the deepest wells in Germany. A lighting system and an automatic water discharge demonstrate its depth.

The Hohenburg Museum presents 7,000 exhibits from various periods in the castle’s history. The permanent exhibition covers the reconstruction of the castle, its history up to its destruction during the Thirty Years’ War, the construction and clearing of the castle well, and life at the castle. The museum thus complements the view of the structure with themes relating to the site’s use and history. The New Gate is also noteworthy in town: it is the only town gate in Homberg/Efze that has survived to this day.

Hiking trails and events

Lochbach Gorge lies between Wallenstein and Homberg-Hülsa. A path runs along both sides of the stream over boardwalks and bridges; along the 1.3-kilometre route, there are benches and picnic spots. Following successful recertification by the German Hiking Institute, the Lochbach Trail officially holds the Premium Hiking Trail designation. This lets you choose between a short walk through the gorge and the certified trail as your main hiking focus.

The events calendar also offers recurring highlights. Annual events in Homberg/Efze include the Easter Market, Wine Festival, Old Town Festival, night markets, Homberg Artists’ Gathering, Autumn Market, Clobes Market Christmas market, and Summer in the City. The dates vary from year to year, so check which events fall during your travel dates before your trip.

The wider Schwalm-Eder district

The Schwalm-Eder district, the wider destination, includes low mountain landscapes around Knüll, Kellerwald and Habichtswald. The region’s cultural context also includes museums elsewhere in the district: the Malerstübchen Museum in Willingshausen explores 19th- and 20th-century art history and displays paintings featuring traditional Schwalm costume. It also showcases traditional Schwalm rural crafts, including whitework embroidery as well as knitting and spinning. Guided by an expert, visitors can attend talks on the artists’ colony and its artists, Schwalm customs, and crafts.

The Schwalm Museum in Schwalmstadt-Ziegenhain displays ceramics and pottery used in the region in a reconstructed pottery workshop. The museum also features a large model of Ziegenhain Water Fortress, showing its condition in 1761 after it was shelled during the Seven Years’ War. For a longer route through the Schwalm-Eder district, there is the Schwalm Cycle Route. It is around 100 kilometres long and follows the Schwalm to its confluence with the Eder shortly before Felsberg. It runs mostly on asphalt or paved paths through river landscapes of meadows, fields, villages and half-timbered towns. The 1.3 kilometres of Lochbach Gorge and the cycle route’s roughly 100 kilometres represent very different route lengths.

Discover more destinations: Hülsa, Welferode, Malsfeld, Fritzlar, Felsberg, Jesberg, Niedenstein, Ottrau

See the overview of the wider destination: Schwalm-Eder district.