Niedernhausen

Hiking and local history shape Niedernhausen in different ways. When planning your trip, specific distinctions can help you find your bearings: the trails, for example, focus on geology or forests, while churches, historic sites, and memorials offer insights into the community’s history. This makes it easier to decide what you would like to focus on during your stay in Niedernhausen.

Hiking among geology, forests, and landscapes

The Geo Discovery Trail runs between Oberjosbach and Oberseelbach. This hike of just under 5 kilometers takes you through 460 million years of geological history. The Oberjosbach Forest Discovery Trail has a different focus: its more than 30 stations offer insights into the forest ecosystem. The circular trail is about 3.5 kilometers long and takes approximately 1 to 1.5 hours. The two trails therefore focus on different topics: geological history on one, forest ecology on the other.

The Eichhornweg is a medium-length forest hiking trail with relatively few climbs. It follows wide, comfortable paths of gravel, meadow, and forest floor, and passes through the districts of Oberjosbach, Niedernhausen, and Oberseelbach. The fifth stage of the Hessian long-distance cycle route R6 also passes partly through the municipality. The Bembelweg is another of the hiking trails that cross Niedernhausen. Together, the trails connect the districts and link up with long-distance hiking routes. A cross-border hiking trail runs between Niedernhausen-Niederseelbach and Idstein-Dasbach.

A prominent high point in the municipality is the Hohe Kanzel: it is Niedernhausen’s local mountain and, at 591 meters, the municipality’s highest elevation. The Historical Walk through Niedernhausen is divided into several sections. These do not need to be walked together or in a set order—a flexible format for anyone who would like to explore individual parts of the walk.

Churches, architectural history, and memorial sites

The former Catholic parish church of the Nativity of Mary was built as a chapel between 1881 and 1885 and has been the seat of its own parish since 1921. The Protestant Johanneskirche in the district of Niederseelbach dates from the 16th century. The villas in Niedernhausen’s spa district also tell the story of an earlier era: built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they bear witness to Niedernhausen’s former importance as a climatic health resort.

Above the railway tracks at Niedernhausen station stands the Schiller Temple, a rustic wooden pavilion with seating and a view. Niedernhausen’s local history and tourism association had it built in 1905 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of poet Friedrich Schiller’s death. The Felsenkeller, also known as the ice cellar, has a different history of use: it was once used to store ice and served as an air-raid shelter during World War II.

The former church, now the Alte Kirche Center (ZAK), is maintained by the Alte Kirche Niedernhausen association, which organizes numerous cultural events there. In Oberseelbach, the Backes houses a functional community-owned bread oven. It was extensively restored in 2023 with funding from the Rheingau-Taunus district. The village fountain in Oberseelbach makes a worthwhile, brief stop along the route. Its cast-iron fountain basin has a shape typical of the Taunus and Westerwald regions. For many years, the Marian grotto was a stop on Niedernhausen’s Corpus Christi procession.

The area is also connected with Roman history: the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes once marked the northern border of the Roman Empire. The Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. Churches, the pavilion, the fountain, and historic buildings each add their own character—from architectural history and local memory to the Felsenkeller’s former use.

Discover more destinations: Waldems, Oestrich-Winkel, Walluf, Kiedrich, Geisenheim, Heidenrod, Lorch, Hohenstein.

View the broader travel guide: Rheingau-Taunus district.