Korbach: Fossils, Hanseatic history and gold mining
Accommodation in Korbach
Korbach brings together the fossils of the Korbach Fissure, the history of a medieval Hanseatic town and evidence of historic gold mining at Eisenberg. You can explore these themes in the museum, the GeoFoyer and on circular trails of varying lengths. When planning your visit, it is worth considering what each route focuses on: some take you through the old town, while others link Korbach’s sights with Eisenberg near Goldhausen.
Fossils, town history and mining
The Wolfgang-Bonhage-MUSEUM KORBACH explores three aspects of the town and its surroundings: the world-famous fossils of the Korbach Fissure, the 1,000-year history of the medieval Hanseatic town and evidence of historic gold mining at Eisenberg. The museum brings together the history of the town and the natural and mining history of the region.
The Korbach Fissure is a fossil site containing Late Permian vertebrates. Alongside the Messel Pit UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, it is considered the most significant paleontological natural monument in Hesse and the oldest known fossil-bearing fissure in Europe. At the GeoFoyer Kalkturm Korbach, you can explore the landscape and living world of 250 million years ago. The rocks found around Korbach illustrate how this ancient landscape formed. The fossils of the fissure and their geological context at the GeoFoyer thus offer two different ways to explore Earth’s history.
Old-town walk or route to Eisenberg
The “Between the Walls” walk covers 2.1 kilometres, taking you once around the historic old town between its two medieval walls. At ten stops, you can learn fascinating facts and curiosities about the town’s history and discover modern aspects of Korbach. The route begins and ends at the town model in the Wolfgang-Bonhage-MUSEUM KORBACH. Its subject extends beyond the medieval walls: the stops connect the town’s history with contemporary aspects of Korbach.
The Goldspur Korbach (Gold Trail) offers another way to follow the traces of the medieval Hanseatic town. Gold coins embedded in the ground lead to the town’s sights. There is also a “Gold Trail” educational path at Eisenberg: evidence of mining can be seen above ground, with further examples underground in the visitor mine. At the Eisenberg Gold Visitor Mine, you can experience historic mining up close.
The GeoPfad Korbach is a circular route around 20 kilometres long, linking the Korbach Fissure with Eisenberg near Goldhausen. This is home to Germany’s largest gold deposit, a visitor mine and the “Gold Trail” educational path. Compared with the 2.1-kilometre walk around the old town, the GeoPfad is considerably longer and links two places to visit in Korbach. The routes therefore differ both in length and focus: the old town and its history on one route, the Korbach Fissure and gold mining on the other.
Green Trails at Eisenberg
There is also a dedicated option for cyclists: the Green Trails Korbach at Eisenberg near Korbach-Goldhausen comprise ten kilometres of singletrack trails. The routes were completed in summer 2023. They are connected in four loops of varying difficulty and offer fun for the whole family. The four loops and their different difficulty levels set this option apart from the routes focused on cultural and mining history.
The main trailhead is on the outskirts of Korbach, right by the SĂĽdring. There are parking spaces, places to rest and a bicycle repair station. From the car park at the main trailhead, a connector route leads directly to Eisenberg and the four singletrack trails in the Korbach trail area. The trailhead, rest facilities and connector route all serve as useful reference points when planning a ride.
Discover more destinations: Goldhausen, Lengefeld, Hillershausen, Diemelstadt, Allendorf, Lichtenfels, Frankenau, Bad Arolsen.
For the regional travel overview: Waldeck-Frankenberg.
