Discover Baumholder

Baumholder offers several highlights for a stay: at the town lake, leisure activities by the water and sports take center stage; the “Im Gärtel” forest trail leads to nature and learning stations; and the museum and historic buildings reveal the town’s history. If you’re looking for a hotel in Baumholder, these different themes can help with your travel planning: consider whether water, forest, golf or culture will shape your stay.

Leisure at the town lake

Baumholder’s town lake is a recreational area in the town center and is free to use year-round. Supervised swimming is available there in summer; check the seasonal hours before your trip. Stand-up paddleboarding is permitted, and SUP boards can be borrowed from the local DLRG lifeguard station. Since the availability of rental boards may change, it’s worth checking in advance.

The swimming area has free parking, sunbathing lawns, a kiosk and restroom facilities. The playground, pump track and fitness area at the town lake are also open year-round and free of charge. The pump track is designed for bicycles, scooters, inline skates and skateboards. This means you can enjoy a break by the water and various ways to stay active in one place, without them being tied to the swimming season.

Forest trail and learning stations

The “Im Gärtel” forest trail, open year-round, is an approximately 2-kilometer circular route through Baumholder’s municipal forest. The path passes the Gärtel nature conservation site and the forest house. At the nature conservation site, information boards and interactive learning stations provide information about forest animals, bees and insects; a nest box exhibition complements these topics. The site is suitable for families and offers a specific place to stop for anyone who wants to learn about the forest and its wildlife along the way.

If you’d like to include the forest house in your visit, note its access requirements: visits are possible as part of guided hikes or by booking through the town of Baumholder. Booking is required for independent access. The circular trail and access to the forest house are therefore separate parts of your plans.

Museum and local history

The Goldener Engel Regional Museum covers regional history and the origins of the Baumholder military training area. Another key focus is the impact of the US military presence on Baumholder and neighboring communities over more than 60 years. The museum uses texts, photographs, everyday objects, music, press articles and films to convey changes in daily life during the 1950s and 1960s. Alongside the history of the military training area, it also explores ways of life across two decades.

The Avenue of the Lost Homeland commemorates villages that had to make way for the military training area in the 1930s. It can be reached via the Bärenbachpfad Dream Loop trail. The Historic Bier Smithy offers another perspective on the past: the freestanding building dates from 1840 and retains a complete collection of equipment of interest for its economic and technological history. Visits are possible by prior arrangement; the smithy is also part of Baumholder’s town tours.

Historic features of the townscape include the Old Town Hall, built in 1840, a Baroque Protestant church and a Neo-Gothic Catholic church. The Thick Tower and the Leichenpforte (Corpse Gate) are connected to the town’s fortifications. The partially restored Wäschbach wash basin is also among the historic sights. Together, these places show different aspects of architectural and town history, while the museum, avenue and smithy explore their own distinct themes.

Golf and travel planning

For travelers interested in golf, the Rolling Hills Golfclub Baumholder e.V. is another option: the 35-hectare course is located on Faulenberghöhe at the edge of Baumholder and offers views across the Hunsrück and Westrich regions. When planning your schedule, it’s important to distinguish between the offerings at the town lake: the lake and forest trail can be enjoyed year-round, while supervised swimming is available in summer. Check the seasonal swimming hours if this is important to your trip.

Discover more destinations: Frauenberg, Niederhambach, Fischbach, Achtelsbach, Schauren, Sonnschied, Sensweiler, Elchweiler.

For the broader travel overview: Birkenfeld.