Simmern/Hunsrück: City History and Culture

Get to know Simmern/Hunsrück through its city history, buildings and museums. The new Blue Path city walk explores the city’s history and culture; churches, Schinderhannes Tower and the Edgar Reitz Film House each offer their own historical and cultural focus.

City History on Foot and Through Its Buildings

The new Blue Path city walk was completed in 2022 and explains the history and culture of Simmern. An earlier cultural and historical city tour was created in 2005, with around 20 information stops. The dates mark two distinct stages: the completion of the new walk and the creation of the older information offering.

A guided city tour visits Schlossplatz, the bastion on Römerberg, the two churches and Schinderhannes Tower. Since the availability of guided tours can change, check for a suitable date before your trip. This lets you plan your sightseeing around the locations mentioned without assuming that a tour is currently available.

Construction of today’s St. Stephen’s Church began in 1486 under Duke Johann I, as Simmern was developing into a residential town. The St. Anne’s Chapel contains the tombs of the dukes of Simmern. They are considered some of the best-known examples of Renaissance culture between Mainz and Trier. Together, the two churches point to different aspects of the town’s architectural and residential history.

Schinderhannes Tower is a surviving part of the medieval fortifications and one of the few architectural remnants of the former residential town. Since 1999, it has housed a permanent exhibition on Schinderhannes; check the exhibition arrangements before your trip. The tower is in the center of Simmern, combining a surviving part of the former town fortifications with the exhibition.

Film and History at the Museum

The Edgar Reitz Film House displays props, sets, costumes and set photographs. It also presents film installations on the theme of Heimat in the oldest part of Simmern. Check the exhibition content before your trip. Its connection to film sets this focus apart from the buildings and residential history that shape the city walk.

A guided tour of the Hunsrück Museum covers prehistory, natural history and geology, Hunsrück film, city and regional history, folklore, and the art collection of Friedrich Karl Ströher. Its scope therefore ranges from early periods and natural history to regional history and art. Tour content and availability can change; check both before your trip.

A Guided Walk Around Simmersee

Another way to plan time outdoors is a guided circular walk through Simmern’s green recreational areas. It is about 9 km long and starts and ends at Simmersee. This makes it easy to include the walk in your day’s plans. Since the availability of guided tours can change, ask about current dates in advance.

Simmern therefore offers a choice of cultural and historical highlights and a guided walk through recreational areas: a city walk and buildings, film and museum themes, or a circular route of about 9 km. The combination that suits your stay depends on whether you want to spend more time on city history, exhibitions or outdoor activities.

Discover more destinations: Fronhofen, Horn, Külz, Tiefenbach, Sargenroth, Dillendorf, Erbach, Oberwesel.

Go to the regional travel overview: Rhein-Hunsrück.