Holiday in Odenwald

About Odenwald

The Odenwald is a low mountain range between the Rhine, Main, and Neckar rivers, extending over parts of Hesse, Bavaria, and Baden-Württemberg. The region combines fairy-tale forests, the legendary Felsenmeer, picturesque half-timbered towns, and the Nibelungenstraße — the route that, according to legend, Siegfried took on his last journey through the Odenwald before he was murdered by Hagen. The Felsenmeer near Lautertal-Reichenbach is the most famous natural monument of the Odenwald: a massive stream of granite blocks that stretches down the slope for over 200 meters, as if a giant had poured them out. The Romans worked granite here 1,800 years ago — unfinished Roman column fragments still lie among the rocks today. Children love to climb and balance on the rocks. The Nibelungenstraße leads from Worms through the Odenwald to Würzburg, following the mythical route of the Nibelungen saga. Along the way are the Siegfried Fountain at Grasellenbach (alleged murder site of Siegfried) and numerous castles and castle ruins. The half-timbered towns of Michelstadt, Erbach, and Hirschhorn on the Neckar are among the most beautiful in all of Germany: The town hall of Michelstadt (1484) with its distinctive pointed arch bay windows is one of the most photographed half-timbered houses in Germany. The Odenwald Marbach Reservoir and the UNESCO Geopark Bergstraße-Odenwald with its fossil finds complete the offer.