Wahlhausen: Hotels on the border between Thuringia and Hesse

Wahlhausen lies on the border between Thuringia and Hesse, right next to the spa town of Bad Sooden-Allendorf. The spa town is not part of Wahlhausen. The German Fairy Tale Route passes through the village. These location details give you a clear point of reference when considering Wahlhausen as a travel destination.

Tours and waterways in Wahlhausen

A tour titled “Beavers and stories - Discover beaver traces, learn about border history” starts and ends at the car park by the church in Wahlhausen.

For the Werra water tour between Wahlhausen and Witzenhausen, there are boat launch and landing points in Wahlhausen at the Camping Oase and by the church. These two locations are practical points of reference when planning a trip on the water. Check the operating conditions at the launch points before setting out.

The German Fairy Tale Route also passes through Wahlhausen. This gives you several different points of interest in the village: the route, the tour about beaver tracks and border history, and the Werra water tour. The relevant details can help you match your interests with the specific places and activities mentioned.

In the wider Eichsfeld destination

In the wider Eichsfeld destination, the range of themes extends from castles and museums to hiking and cycling trails. Bodenstein Castle was first mentioned in a document in 1098 and stands on a spur of the Ohm Mountains. Guided tours about the history of the former lords of the castle, the von Wintzingerode family, are regularly offered; visitors can also visit the small chapel with its baptismal angel. Both the castle’s history and a special visit to the chapel are highlights here.

The Eichsfeld Museum is located in the Baroque Jesuit College in Heilbad Heiligenstadt. Across three floors, it provides information about the history, culture, religious life and folklore of the Eichsfeld. Its focus is therefore on the region, while Bodenstein Castle offers a specific insight into the history of former castle lords.

Landscape, hiking trails and views

The Dün and Iberg hills around Heilbad Heiligenstadt offer excellent conditions for long hikes on certified TOP hiking trails. Scharfenstein Castle offers a different perspective on the landscape: its terrace has a viewing point, and there is also a 20-metre-high tower completed in 2016. From there, the panoramic view takes in the upper Leine Valley, the Eichsfeld Basin, the Ohm Mountains and the eastern Dün. On a clear day, the view extends as far as the Harz Mountains.

Hanstein Castle ruins are also a destination for anyone interested in history and landscapes. The accessible west tower offers wide-ranging panoramic views over the Eichsfeld and the surrounding forests in clear weather; with good visibility, the view reaches as far as the Brocken in the Harz Mountains. The views are therefore explicitly dependent on visibility conditions.

Tradition, town history and cycling route

In Dingelstädt, the hobbyhorse ride around St Mary’s Church takes place every year on Easter Monday. Preschool children ride wooden hobbyhorses decorated with bells and colourful ribbons. In Duderstadt, the medieval town ramparts are completely intact and invite visitors to take a walk beneath old lime and chestnut trees. These customs and aspects of town history offer two different cultural themes within the wider Eichsfeld destination.

Anyone interested in the history of the GDR border can follow a circular walking trail at the Eichsfeld Borderland Museum, which features original control buildings, vehicle barriers and signal fences. For cyclists, the Leine-Heide Cycle Route begins in Leinefelde and runs all the way to Hamburg. Regional cuisine is also part of the Eichsfeld’s character: air-dried sausage is considered a regional speciality and is known beyond the region’s borders.

Discover more destinations: Uder, Hohengandern, Büttstedt, Martinfeld, Kleinbartloff, Asbach-Sickenberg, Schönhagen, Bornhagen

See the wider travel overview: Eichsfeld.