The eco paths in the district of Kassel and in the Schwalm-Eder district are mostly circular hiking trails that can be mastered in a not too long walk or a too long hike. The term "Eco" comes from French and roughly corresponds to the German "Öko", which in turn is known from the terms economy and ecology. For example, the eco-paths illustrate the history and development of human work in North Hesse as well as the associated change in the environment. Numerous information boards in easily understandable language directly on the hiking trails inform walkers and hikers clearly about the respective topics, the current status of which is reflected in scientific research.
Since 2006 the network of eco paths has been in North Hesse continuously grown to meanwhile 31 eco paths in the district kassel and two eco trails in the Schwalm-Eder district. In addition to the municipalities involved, they were funded by the Hessian Ministry of the Environment and the district of Kassel, or by the Schwalm-Eder district, and are now supported by the Hessian Waldeckische Gebirgs- und Heimatverein (HWGHV) awarded the two categories “Approved walking path” and “Approved hiking path”. A separate flyer is available for each eco path.
Dynamic cardsRoute profile
The eco paths, with an average length of 12 km, run either on paved paths in the vicinity of localities or on natural paths far away from localities, depending on the topic. The awards "Approved walking path" or "Approved hiking path" of the Hessisch Waldeckischer Gebirgs- und Heimatverein (HWGHV) allow the eco paths to be clearly classified as walking paths or hiking trails. Some of the eco paths are also easily accessible by bike, such as the Diemel eco path (see the descriptions in the table). Since the eco paths are usually all circular hiking trails, they are best reached by car, but usually also regularly by public transport North Hessian Transport Association.
District of Kassel
| title | length | Start point / end point | description | picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eco path ancestor | 9 km | Ahnatal / Vellmar | The Eco path ancestor is certified as a certified walking path and connects as an inter-communal eco path Ahnatal and Vellmar. Following the course of the ancestor downstream, eight stations provide information about Kassel sea sand, railroad, forest smithy, mills in Heckershausen, Thielemann smithy, swimming pool, mills in Vellmar, Ahnepark and Brandgassen. The Ahne runs along the eco path Bus route 48. |  |
| Eco path archeology Calden | 8 kilometers | Calden / Wilhelmsthal Castle | The Eco path archeology Calden is certified as a certified hiking trail and enables a journey through time from the Neolithic to the 18th century. Themes are the zoo with hunting star and barrow, the two gallery graves southwest of Calden and the Neolithic earthworks. Calden is used by the bus routes 46, 47, 100, 130, 132 and 133 also approached on the weekend. |  |
| Eco path archeology Dörnberg | 10 km | Zierenberg / High Dörnberg | The Eco path archeology Dörnberg is certified as a certified hiking trail and runs around the Dörnberg massif. Themes are Helfensteine, the Hollow stonewho have favourited ramparts on the Hohen Dörnberg and Burg Blumenstein, also called Wichtelkirche known. Can be reached every day Hohe Dörnberg every two hours by bus 117. |  |
| Eco path archeology Gläsnertal | 10.5 km | Sneezes / Kaufunger Forest | The Eco path archeology Gläsnertal is certified as a certified hiking trail and enables an excursion into glass production in the early modern period (16th century). It runs along with the Grimmsteig through the Gläsnertal im Kaufunger Forest and in order to avoid redundancies it was also included in the article for the time being Grimmsteig described. The final settlement in Gläsnertal is served by the bus route 34 approached. |  |
| Eco path archeology Helmarshausen | 5.5 km | Bad Karlshafen / Krukenburg | The Eco path archeology Helmarshausen is certified as a certified hiking trail and runs once around Helmarshausen in the Diemeltal. Stations are the monastery Helmarshausen, the Krukenburg, the quarry at Carlsplatz, a Neolithic earthwork, the winter camp of Charlemagne and the deserted Neustadt. The line is reversed 180. |  |
| Eco path archeology Naumburg | 8 or 18 km | Naumburg / Weidelsburg | The Eco path archeology Naumburg is both a certified hiking trail and a premium trail with the German hiking seal certified, because the route is identical to the 18 km extra tour H8 of the Habichtswaldsteig "In the valley of the two castles" is; alternatively there is also an 8 km tour. Naumburg (Hesse) is from the bus routes 53, 55, 142, 144, 152 and 154 served. |  |
| Eco path archeology scythe stone | 15.5 km | Sneezes / Good Windhausen | The Eco path archeology scythe stone is certified as a certified hiking trail and runs through the Hessian-Lower Saxony Border area. Stations are the Sensenstein Castle, the Niester Giant, medieval iron mines, Bronze Age barrows, Gut Windhausen and acorn gardens. Accessible by bus 34. |  |
| Eco path archeology Sieburg | 9.5 km | Bad Karlshafen / Reinhardswald | The Eco path archeology Sieburg is certified as a certified hiking trail and opens up the largest fortification in terms of area with 140 hectares Hessen, the Sieburg, which has so far hardly been explored and which used to be the city today Bad Karlshafen when it was founded in 1699. Helmarshausen and Bad Karlshafen, the two possible starting points, are with the bus route 180 reachable. |  |
| Eco path mining Holzhausen Reinhardswald | 17 km | Immenhausen / Reinhardswald | The Eco path mining Holzhausen Reinhardswald is certified as a certified hiking trail and consists of the three circular hiking trails Gahrenberg-Runde (8.4 km), Kleeberg-Runde (4.0 km) and Osterberg-Runde (4.8 km). During the longest way from the Roter Stock parking lot through the Reinhardswald runs, the other two routes start at the community center in Holzhausen, where the bus routes 40 and 173 hold. |  |
| Eco path mining in the Söhre | 9.5 km | Sohrewald / Söhre | The Eco path mining in the Söhre is certified as a certified hiking trail and enables a journey back in time to the mining history of the Söhre. Stations are the coal mining on Stellberg, the Karlstollen / Zeche Tiefenrod, the cable car, the Wiesenschacht, the open pit and the Wattenbach coal works. The line is reversed 37. |  |
| Eco path Breuna - remembering and commemorating | 6.5 km | Breuna / Malsburg Forest | The Eco path Breuna - remembering and commemorating is certified as a certified walking path and gives the visitor an insight into 3500 years of burial culture. Topics are the Sankt Margarethen church with Escheberg burial chapel, the war cemetery, the barrows, the Jewish cemetery, the war memorial and the community cemetery. In Breuna the bus routes operate 120 and 130. |  |
| Eco path castles museums water Gieselwerder | 6 km | Upper Weser / Reinhardswald | The Eco path castles museums water Gieselwerder is certified and explored as a certified walking path Gieselwerder, a district of Upper Weser with a historic town center. Stations include the Weser waterway, the Spitzenburg, water uphill and the Rypoldessen desert. The bus routes operate 192, 193, 194 and 195. |  |
| Eco path Diemel | 25 km | Trendelburg / Bad Karlshafen | The Eco path Diemel is equally suitable for walkers, hikers and cyclists and follows the course of the Diemel, Landgraf-Carl-Kanal and Carlsbahn through a varied cultural landscape. The highlight of the Eco Path since September 2014 has been the reopened Deiseler Tunnel, the oldest railway tunnel Hessen. The bus routes run along the route 140, 180 and 181. |  |
| Eco path peace education Bad Emstal | 10 km | Bad Emstal / Habichtswald | The Eco path peace education Bad Emstal is certified as a certified hiking trail and deals with the impact of war and violence on people's lives. Stations are Merxhausen Monastery, war cemetery, former synagogue and Jewish community in Riede, UNRRA / IRO cemetery, and the Merxhausen state hospital; Bus routes 53, 55, 142, 144, 152 and 154. |  |
| Eco path Hümme historical village exploration | 8 kilometers | Hofgeismar / Reinhardswald | The Eco path Hümme historical village exploration is certified as a certified walk and invites you to take a tour of the historic center of Hümme, which is a protected monument. Further topics are the Landgraf-Carl Canal and the Carlsbahn, the oldest railway when it opened Hessen. Drive it RT1, 140, 180. |  |
| Helsa industrial and cultural history eco path | 10 km | Helsa / Kaufunger Forest | The Helsa industrial and cultural history eco path is certified as a certified walking path and enables a journey through time through the place, which is characterized by half-timbered houses and industry, the topics extend from the early 16th century to the present day. Is attainable Helsa with the tram line 4, as well as the bus route 210. |  |
| Eco path Hasungen Monastery | 2.5 km | Zierenberg / Habichtswald | The Eco path Hasungen Monastery is certified as a certified walking path and leads from the Hasungen Monastery Museum up to the Hasunger Berg, which was an important pilgrimage site for the Heimerad in the Middle Ages and from which you now have a beautiful view of the Wolfhager Land. The bus routes stop in Burghasungen 110 and 117. |  |
| Ahlberg-Mariendorf cultural history eco path | 4.5 km | Immenhausen / Reinhardswald | The Ahlberg-Mariendorf cultural history eco path is certified as a certified hiking trail and explores 2000 years of settlement history around the Ahlberg. Stations are Steigerhaus and mining, clay pits and brickworks, ring wall and waiting, the Reinersen desert, the Hutestein, as well as Landwehr and Wildgraben. It drives the line 171. |  |
| Eco path for the cultural history of the Großenritte | 6 km | Baunatal / Langenberge | The Eco path for the cultural history of the Großenritte is certified as a certified walk and provides information about the settlement history of Großenritte. Stops along the route are the train station, the Hünstein, the Kreuzkirche, the Langenbergkampfbahn, the Burgberg with quarry, as well as the Heiligenborn and the Pfaffeiche. The starting point is at Großenritte station, where the lines 5, 7, 54, 58, 61 and 65 hold. |  |
| Eco path cultural history Guntershausen | 5 km | Baunatal / Fulda valley | The Eco path cultural history Guntershausen is certified as a certified walking path and tells of the changes from the agricultural village to today's district of Baunatal. In addition to the train station, topics are the bridges over the Fulda, the Protestant church, the schoolhouse, the giant stone and the mill in the Baunatal. Run at the train station RT5 / R38 / RE98 and the bus route 64. |  |
| Eco path cultural history Habichtswald | 16.5 km | Habichtswald / Habichtswald | The Eco path cultural history Habichtswald is certified as a certified walking path and follows the traces of the interesting history of the two districts of the municipality Habichtswald. The visitor is informed about the Protestant church Ehlen, Gut Bodenhausen, the Bodenhauser mills, the Protestant church Dörnberg and the basalt mining at the Silbersee. The bus routes run 22, 110 and 117. |  |
| Eco path cultural history Hertingshausen and Kirchbauna | 7 km | Baunatal / Chattengau | The Eco path cultural history Hertingshausen and Kirchbauna is certified as a certified walking path and can alternatively be used by bike. He tells about the formerly independent communities Hertingshausen and Kirchbauna, which can look back on centuries of history. The two districts Baunatals are with the bus routes 50, 62, 63, 64, 65 and 402 reachable. |  |
| Eco path cultural history Knickhagen-Wilhelmshausen | 7.5 km | Fulda valley / Reinhardswald | The Eco path cultural history Knickhagen-Wilhelmshausen is certified as a certified hiking trail and covers a period of more than 3,000 years of cultural and regional history, such as several mills, the Marienbasilika, Knickhagen Castle and the battle of Lutterberg. The bus routes run 42 and 45. |  |
| Eco path cultural history Lohfelden | 10 km | Lohfelden / Kassel basin | The Eco path cultural history Lohfelden is partly certified as a certified walking trail and partly as a certified hiking trail and enables a journey through time from the late Bronze Age to the middle of the 20th century. It connects all districts of Lohfeldenby the three bus routes 35, 36 and 37 are approached. |  |
| Eco path cultural history Oedelsheim | 5 km | Upper Weser / Bramwald | The Eco path cultural history Oedelsheim is certified as a certified walking path and leads through one of the oldest settlements in the Weser Valley. Stations are the Gierseilfähre Oedelsheim, the Protestant church and the water mill, as well as the old town center and the village museum. Oedelsheim is from the bus routes 194 and 195 served. |  |
| Eco path cultural history Wahlsburg | 12 km | Wahlsburg / Bramwald | The Eco path cultural history Wahlsburg is certified as a certified walking path and connects the two districts Lippoldsberg and Vernawahlshausen with the Wahlsburg, which is the namesake of the community. Further stations are the Eisenhammer, the Wesertal, the Paraxol-Werk, the Sankt Margarethen-Kirche, the Bleichwiesen and the Mühlbach. Can be reached with R85 and the bus routes 192 and 194. |  |
| Eco path cultural history Wolfhagen | 8 kilometers | Wolfhagen / Wolfhager Land | The Eco path cultural history Wolfhagen is certified as a certified hiking trail and enables a journey through time through the surroundings of the oldest city in the district of Kassel. Topics are the Judenbad, the Langel desert, Elmarshausen, the Schützeberg, the paper mill, the colonies and a memorial. In Wolfhagen the lines run R4 / RT4, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 120, 142 and 144. |  |
| Eco path man and water in Kaufungen | 14 km | Kaufungen / Kaufunger Forest | The Eco path man and water in Kaufungen is certified as a certified walking path and deals thematically with the traces of the various facets of water use in Kaufungen. Along the Losse, the visitor is informed about various topics. Kaufungen is from the lines 4 and 34 approached. |  |
| Eco path Muschelkalk in the Diemel valley | 10 km | Liebenau / Warburger Börde | The Eco path Muschelkalk in the Diemel valley is certified as a certified hiking trail and leads through a former subtropical Muschelkalkmeer as a country-connecting eco-path. Stops are Steinreich, Schanze, Spring Forest, Auf Tauchgang, Waldmantel, Muschelkalkmeer, Stenderberg and Ostheimer Hute. The lines run 140 and 141. |  |
| Eco path pilgrimage routes to the pilgrimage site of Gottsbüren | 80 km | Trendelburg / Reinhardswald | The Eco path pilgrimage routes to the pilgrimage site Gottsbüren is certified as a certified hiking trail and is divided into the seven circular hiking trails Helmarshäuser Weg (11/14 km), Nonnenweg (14 km), Werderscher Weg (12 km), Sababurger Weg (12 km), Hofgeismarer Weg (11 km) and Jakobsweg ( 17 km). The starting point of all is in Trendelburg-Gottsbüren at the pilgrimage church, accessible by bus 181 and 192. |  |
| Eco path Simmershausen settlement history | 6.5 km | Fulda valley / Reinhardswald | The Eco path Simmershausen settlement history is certified as a certified hiking trail and enables a journey through time from the Neolithic to the 20th century. Stops are the Protestant church, the historic smithy, the Helleweg, the Stone Age camp, the Kreuzstein, the Neolithic settlement and the waterworks. The bus routes run 40, 42, 43 and 45. |  |
| Thinking trails I - III Grebenstein, the intellectual history eco path | 1 km | Grebenstein / Castle Hill | The Thinking trails I - III Grebenstein, the intellectual history eco path are certified as a certified walking path and are made up of the Thinking Path I (From Heraklit to Wittgenstein), the Thinking Path II (Morgenländischer Weg) and the Thinking Path III (Literary Parcours; from Homer to Handke). In Grebenstein run next to the RT1 / RE17 the bus routes 130, 131, 133 and 171. |  |
Schwalm-Eder district
| title | length | Start point / end point | description | picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eco path archeology Altenburg and Falkenstein | 5 km | Niedenstein / Habichtswald | The Eco path archeology Altenburg and Falkenstein is certified as a certified hiking trail and mostly runs together with the Habichtswaldsteig over the Altenburg up to the Falkenstein castle ruins. A total of 8 information boards provide information about the respective archaeological finds. Of Niedensteinwhere the bus routes 54 and 401 drive, it is a good 1.3 kilometers to the eco path. |  |
| Eco path cultural history Kirchberg | 11 km | Niedenstein / Chattengau | The Eco path cultural history Kirchberg is certified as a certified hiking trail and deals with some of the more than 400 field names around Kirchberg that once served the population for everyday orientation. It is divided into the circular hiking trails A Weißenthalsmühle (7 km) and B Wartberg and Dorf (4 km), both of which start in Kirchberg, where the bus routes 54 and 401 hold. |  |
Web links
- Official website of the eco paths in the Kassel district with the option to download the flyers for the individual tours.
- Official website of the Kirchberg cultural history eco path.
- Official website of the eco path archeology Altenburg and Falkenstein.
