Meinhard: Discover lakes, trails and history

Leisure activities at Lake Werratalsee

Meinhard Lake Park on the eastern shore of Lake Werratalsee offers opportunities for leisure and swimming fun for the whole family. The facilities listed include a versatile playground and beach volleyball courts. Before your trip, check whether the facilities operate seasonally. In Meinhard-Schwebda, a sandy beach swimming area on the eastern shore offers water-based fun. You can also plan your stay around the activities you have in mind by the water.

Hiking and cycling on routes with different profiles

The P4 Hessian Switzerland Premium Trail is a challenging option: it is rated difficult, is 15.6 kilometres long and has 422 metres of elevation gain. The stated duration is 330 minutes, or five and a half hours. The trail passes through the Green Belt of Hesse National Natural Monument and reaches steep cliff edges with views over the Werra Valley. When planning, take into account the difficulty rating, distance, elevation gain and stated duration; route conditions may change due to maintenance work.

If you prefer to travel by bike, the Werra Valley Cycle Route offers another way to experience Meinhard. It passes through the municipality alongside a lake landscape and is rated easy to moderate. The details about the P4 and the cycle route describe different activities and can help you shape your plans around whether hiking or cycling is your main focus.

Nature and seasonal experiences

Meinhard lies directly within the Green Belt of Hesse National Natural Monument; the P4 Premium Trail also passes through this area. One of the largest colonies of greater mouse-eared bats in Hesse is located at Wolfsbrunnen Castle in Meinhard-Schwebda. Excursions take place from late spring onwards. As this is a seasonal activity, check the current dates before your visit.

History and culture in Meinhard-Schwebda

Wolfsbrunnen Castle lies northeast of Meinhard-Schwebda at the foot of Dachsberg. It was built on commission from Alexander v. Keudell between 1904 and 1907. A much older story is told by the group of buildings around the Stone House: it grew out of a former moated castle and is among the oldest buildings in the village. The Stone House dates from 1529 and is described as the ancestral home of the von Keudell family.

The Meinhard Local History Museum in Meinhard-Schwebda was established in 1989 above the former farrier’s workshop of the old manor estate and presents the region’s culture. Its exhibits include parts of a classroom from the former elementary school and a collection of working telephones that visitors can try out. Schwebda thus offers different ways to explore local history side by side: historic buildings and a museum with interactive exhibits.

Meinhard in the Werra-Meißner district

From a tourism perspective, the Werra-Meißner district is part of the Frau Holle Land Geo-Nature Park. The region between the Werra Valley, Hoher Meißner and Kaufungen Forest brings together a variety of landscapes as well as diverse flora and fauna. The regional hiking offer includes a dense network of certified premium trails and the Werra-Burgen-Steig Hessen. The Werra Valley Cycle Route is around 300 kilometres long and was awarded three stars as a quality route by the German Cyclists’ Federation in 2025. This broader context complements Meinhard’s specific trails and sites with information about the wider region.

Discover more destinations

Grebendorf, Schwebda, Herleshausen, Wehretal, Waldkappel, Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Witzenhausen, Datterode

For the overview of the wider region: Werra-Meißner district.