Schwalm - Schwalm

The Schwalm is a rural region in North Hesse, named after the river of the same name. It is embedded between the low mountain ranges Kellerwald, Crunch and Vogelsberg. Politically, the region is now part of the Schwalm-Eder district.

Bike path on the dam behind Goat grove

places

  • Schwalmstadt - The municipality with 16,300 inhabitants is the center of the Schwalm and is an amalgamation of the cities of Treysa and Ziegenhain, which were independent until 1972, as well as some surrounding municipalities. Between the two cities lies the diked floodplain of the Schwalm, which is ideal for cycling and walking.
    • Treysa - Ruins of the Totenkirche (St. Martinskirche), historic old town on a mountain hill, market square with town hall, hospital chapel, witch tower.
    • Goat grove - Ziegenhain water fortress (now a prison), Rangenturm (part of the medieval city fortifications), half-timbered house rose garden, castle, Schwalm museum.
  • Willingshausen - Rural community with the well-known painters' colony in the capital of the same name.
  • Schrecksbach - Small community that can be found in the Schwalmtal towards Alsfeld.
  • Neukirchen - Small town with half-timbered buildings on the western edge of the Knüll in the transition to the Schwalm. Since some districts are in the Hohe Knüll, the town on Wikivoyage belongs to the Knüll. In terms of tourism, Neukirchen can also be counted as Schwalm, depending on the perspective.

Other goals

background

The Schwalm costume (unmarried women wear red caps) is said to have served as a model for Little Red Riding Hood in Grimm's fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf". In Treysa, diagonally across from the train station, you will find the right monument to the fairy tale. In the language of tourism advertising, the Schwalm belongs to the Hessian fairy tale land.

language

Summers in the Schwalm can be very beautiful!

The main language in the Schwalm is German (high German). In everyday life, the dialect of the old generation is still widespread in some cases; one speaks one dialect, the "Schwälmer Platt". For example, the phrase "Naumoric Kummuff" stands for "New Fashionable Stuff".

This "Schwälmer Platt" can somehow be described as a separate language that is not or only very poorly understood outside the region. Some words change their pronunciation and spelling even within the Schwalm.

If you want to learn the dialect, you have to pay a lot of attention and understand that it is unlikely to be understood outside of the region.

Most of the locals speak English too.

getting there

By car

The region is well integrated in the motorway network. From Kassel, the A49 and A7 as well as numerous federal highways lead to the Schwalm. If you are coming from the direction of Giessen or Eisenach, the A5 and the federal highways point the way. Important federal roads are the B245 and the B454

By train

The Main-Weser-Bahn (Frankfurt am Main - Kassel) crosses the Schwalm. In Schwalmstadt-Treysa there is a connection to long-distance traffic (Intercity stop). Regional express trains as well as the “MittelhessenExpress” to Frankfurt and the RegioTram to Kassel also stop here.

Schwalmstadt-Treysa train station has been barrier-free since 2020. The central platform (trains in the direction of Kassel and “MittelhessenExpress”) can only be reached via stairs.

By bicycle

The Hessian long-distance cycle routes R 4 and R 2 open up the Schwalm nationwide. There is also the Schwalm cycle paththat follows the course of the river from Vogelsberg to the Ederniederung near Felsberg.

mobility

Public transport can still be expanded. You tend to travel by car here.

Tourist Attractions

Town hall in the old town of Treysa
  • Old town from Schwalmstadt-Treysa - Market square with half-timbered buildings, ruins of the Church of the Dead (St. Martin's Church)
  • Museum of the Schwalm in Schwalmstadt-Ziegenhain - exhibition on regional history from prehistory and early history. Further topics: Presentation of the history of the fortress Ziegenhain · Information about the Schwalm costumes.
  • Ziegenhain Fortress - now houses a.o. a prison. The old structure of the fortress with moats is still visible today in the townscape of Ziegenhain.

activities

To go biking

Small flat round tours can be undertaken in the wide valley basin. It is particularly good to cycle in the flood retention basin between Treysa and Ziegenhain, as there are several paved and traffic-free farm roads there. In addition, some regional cycle routes in the Schwalm-Eder district run through the Schwalm.

  • A regional highlight is that Rotkäppchenland railway cycle path from Schwalmstadt-Treysa to Oberaula im Knüll. The 36 km long railway cycle path connects the Schwalm with the as a "premium route" Crunch. Overall, the result is a scenic route of almost 70 km to the Fulda. This tour can be completed in one day by bike and train from Kassel as well as from Frankfurt am Main.
  • The ADFC (General German Bicycle Club) - Schwalmstadtregularly organizes bike tours in the region. Bicycle tours are offered to all citizens, whether members of the ADFC or not. Participation in the day tours of the ADFC Schwalmstadt is usually free of charge (donations are however gladly accepted). Only entrance fees, travel, food or, if necessary, accommodation costs are to be borne by yourself and paid directly on site. (for more see homepage)

hike

There are numerous hiking trails, some of which are signposted.

climate

Light morning mist in and on the river of the same name "Schwalm"

The climate in the Schwalm can be changeable. In addition to a mild spring and hot summers, there can also be very cold winters. In addition, in the autumn and spring months there is often fog in the floodplains, where the Schwalm river of the same name flows.

Incidentally, these foggy layers can also give you very interesting photo motifs. Snow tends to fall in the adjoining low mountain ranges, in the reservoirs and ridges.

literature

Web links

Holiday and recreation regions in Northern Hesse
Edersee - Ederbergland - Chattengau and Schwalm-Eder-Aue - Diemelsee - High Meissner - City of Kassel - Kaufunger Forest - Kellerwald - Crunch - Middle Fulda valley - Habichtswald Nature Park - Reinhardswald - Ringgau - Schwalm - Stölzinger Mountains - Upland - Waldecker Land - Waldhessen - Werra-Meißner-Land
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