Long-distance hiking trail - Werra Castle Trail X5 - From Fehrenbach to Hann. Münden

One path, three countries, many opportunities

- so probably thought the hiking enthusiasts of the Werra Valley Association in 1885 when they began marking this long-distance hiking trail from Hann. Münden to the Wartburg.

The inner-German border then divided the long-distance trail into two attractive routes: One leads as a quality hiking trail, marked with X5 H (like Hesse), from Hann. Münden to Tannenburg near Nentershausen. The other, marked with a blue square and black X5 on a white background, crosses the Eichsfeld and ends at the Brandenburg castle ruin near Lauchröden. Between the routes runs the Green Belt.

Starting in Hann. Münden, where "Werra and Fulda kiss…," the X5H runs through picturesque Lower Saxony towns and meets the first treasure in Hesse, Berlepsch Castle. Further on beautiful paths, you encounter the youth castle Ludwigstein, Rothestein Castle with magnificent views over the Werra Valley, and further castle ruins up to the popular Tannenburg. Half-timbered towns like the cherry city Witzenhausen, the spa town Bad Sooden-Allendorf and Eschwege with the Landgrave's castle offer beautiful and historic old towns alongside idyllic places and the enchanting nature park landscape between Hoher Meißner and Kaufunger Forest.

Connecting the premium hiking trails around Witzenhausen, Bad Sooden-Allendorf and Eschwege, the Werra Castle Trail is a romantic hiking path between Hanstein, Devil’s Pulpit, and Hülfensberg monastery, continuing with castle stormers from Normanstone to Creuzburg, with views of the Brandenburg castle ruin, to "Monte Kali", past Wendelstein in Vacha up to Krayenburg near Tiefenort. Then it reaches Frankenstein via Bad Salzungen, switches over to the Altenstein landscape park at Bad Liebenstein, leads over the lake-rich Breitungen up to Maienluft Castle above the carnival town Wasungen. It continues past Landsberg Castle around Meiningen, over Osterburg near Henfstädt to the basilica of Veßra monastery, and from there up to Masserberg and Siegmundsburg in the Werra source area.

Almost 500 km full of nature and culture

For long and short distances, loops or combination tours with bike and boat, for spring tours in the young beech greenery of Hainich and the Rhön, for cool summer hikes with rolled-up pants, for colorful autumn walks or winter hikes with snowshoes. There is much to discover: fortified churches, Franciscan monasteries, castles and palaces, knight festivals, singer wars, landscape parks and churchyard gardens, as well as good food and art along the way.