Ausflugsziele
Here you will find some excursion tips for Hofheim.
For further information about the most beautiful corners of Hofheim and to request tourist information material, please contact Ms. Sabrina Birnkammer-Folwaczny by telephone on 06192-202 283 or by e-mail: tourismus@hofheim.de
The forest garden is not only a diverse habitat for plants and animals, but also a place for learning and recreation. Numerous small biotopes have been created and wild plants established to show interested parties that the diversity of native plants is a real alternative to the use of exotic garden plants and what opportunities there are to make a contribution to nature conservation at home and in the garden. The forest garden is intended to provide landowners with practical suggestions for the natural design of private and public green spaces. School classes are an important target group. The forest and species conservation nature trail conveys knowledge to our visitors with over 40 picture and text panels. Several idyllic seating areas with and without tables in the forest under old beech trees, by the pond or on the terrace invite you to rest and observe. When visiting the forest garden, don't forget your binoculars and camera. Please understand that dogs are not allowed in the forest garden. A comprehensive information leaflet about the Hofheim Forest Garden is available from our caretaker for a nominal fee of €1, if available.
How to find us: By public transport from Hofheim station (S 2 or regional train line 20), on foot in the direction of Waldfriedhof (15 minutes) or by bus line 403, Waldfriedhof stop, on foot in the direction of Waldgarten (2 minutes). By car: A66, exit Eppstein, L 3011, turn off at Hofheim onto the L 3018 towards Langenhain, approx. 300 m after turning off, there is a large parking lot on the right, which is followed by the Hubertuspfad. The path to the forest garden is signposted from the junction of the L 3018 and L 3011.
Opening hours: From May to September every Sunday from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm. Admission is free on these days. A fee (min. 25 euros) is charged for guided tours by arrangement.
The forest garden is an institution of the SCHUTZGEMEINSCHAFT DEUTSCHER WALD, Stadtverband Hofheim am Taunus e.V. It is a non-profit organization. Membership fees and donations are tax-privileged. You can help. Become a member or sponsor. Our bank details: Frankfurter Volksbank e. G. BIC: FFVB DE FF IBAN: DE03501900000008160007. If your donation is to be used solely for the Waldgarten, please state "Donation for Waldgarten" as the intended purpose. If you are interested in supporting the forest garden, individual biotope elements, plants or animals on a permanent basis, please contact the association.
Forest garden visits and guided tours can also be booked outside public visiting hours. If you are interested, please call 06192/921728 or send an e-mail to sdw.hofheim@gmx.de.
Further information is available at www.sdw-hofheim.de.
In 1910, according to a plan by Frankfurt architect Karl Kolb, master builder Georg Betzel from Hofheim was commissioned by the Taunusklub - Verschönerungsverein to erect a viewing temple in the style of late Darmstadt Art Nouveau. With this project and other measures, such as the construction and signposting of hiking trails, the association, in cooperation with the town, attempted to stimulate tourism during this phase.
In honour of the curator at the State Museum in Wiesbaden and retired colonel.* Carl August von Cohausen 1812 - 1894, this viewing temple was named the Cohausen Temple.
C.A. von Cohausen himself had researched the ring ramparts on the Kapellenberg and made significant suggestions for systematic investigations of the remains of the Roman military camps on the Hochfeld.
(*c.d. abbreviation for "for disposition")
In the 1950s, the Cohausen Temple - last owned by the Verschönerungs- und Verkehrsverein - passed into the care of the town of Hofheim am Taunus.
The original copper roof, later replaced by a red bitumen covering, was restored by the town of Hofheim am Taunus in 2003 at the insistence of the monument protection authorities. The Cohausen Temple is located on the Kapellenberg in the forest and can be reached via hiking trails.
The Meisterturm is beautifully situated on the town's "local mountain", the Kapellenberg. (292 m above sea level)
It was built in 1895 as a 24-metre high wooden structure by the Taunusklub - Verschönerungsverein at the suggestion of its chairman Otto Engelhard and named after the then district administrator Wilhelm von Meister (son of the founder of Farbwerke vorm. Meister, Lucius & Brüning). During the First World War, however, the tower lacked the necessary care and after being struck by lightning, it had to be demolished in 1920.
The "steel" Meisterturm, which still stands today, was redesigned by the Taunusklub Verschönerungsverein and completed at the end of 1929. 173 steps lead to the viewing platform at a height of 32 m, which offers a view over the Hochtaunus, into the Lorsbach valley, the Main plain with the Frankfurt skyscraper silhouette and, on clear days, as far as the Odenwald.
There is a cozy forest restaurant at the foot of the tower. Both light and hearty meals are on offer here. If you are just looking for a sweet snack, you will also find it here - delicious ice cream and Austrian specialties such as Kaiserschmarrn and apple strudel can be found here. Information is available by telephone on 06192 / 8887 or on the Internet, www.meisterturm.de.
Directions:
A 66 exit Zeilsheim, direction Hofheim, then direction Kreiskrankenhaus, Exerzitienhaus am Kreuzweg, from there only on foot through the forest in approx. 10 minutes (steep ascent).
Public transportation - S2 or RB 20 to Hofheim, bus line 401 to Kapellenstraße
The Kapellenberg is one of the oldest and most interesting archaeological monuments still visible in the Rhine-Main region. The 6000-year-old ramparts are still clearly visible in many places. Since 2008, this unique archaeological site has been the subject of a long-term research project at the Leibniz Center for Archaeology (LEIZA) in Mainz in conjunction with Johannes Gutenberg University and hessenArchäologie. Since 2021, the results of all previous research can be explored on an archaeological trail. The trail starts at the ascent to the Meisterturm, branching off at the Kreuzweg. Three information boards and eighteen steles inform interested visitors about the eventful history of the Kapellenberg and document its uniqueness.
6000 years of Kapellenberg
The Kapellenberg has been important to the people who settled there since the Neolithic Age and was used as a settlement area, burial site and protection zone, and later also as an observation post and retreat. From the 19th century, the Kapellenberg became a recreational area for residents and visitors.
Over a length of 4.2 kilometers, information boards provide many facts and background information on the various eras. One highlight is the 6000-year-old rampart dating back to the Michelsberg culture, which is still clearly visible in many places.
Along the circular trail is the popular "Meisterturm" forest restaurant, which invites you to linger and enjoy its alpine flair.
Our project partners:
- LEIZA - Leibnitz Center for Archaeology
- Rhine-Main Regional Park
- Frankfurt Airport Foundation
- hessenARCHAEOLOGY
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Excavation 2015 on the Kapellenberg
In 2015, a team of archaeologists once again excavated the 6,000-year-old Neolithic site on the Kapellenberg near Hofheim am Taunus.
The sixth excavation campaign from 7 to 25 September 2015 in the front area of the Kapellenberg was carried out by students from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in a collaboration between the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum (RGZM) and hessenARCHÄOLOGIE to provide clues as to the nature and duration of the settlement.
The local excavation manager was Jonas Nowaczek. The excavation team consisted of students from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. The excavation areas are located near the former Roman watchtower.
The RGZM and the Prehistory and Early History Department of the Institute of Classical Studies at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz have been excavating on the Kapellenberg in Hofheim since 2008 in collaboration with hessenARCHÄOLOGIE, with great support from the town of Hofheim.
Over the course of the past few years, it has become clear that the rampart was begun as a palisade around 4100 BC and underwent its final, still visible expansion phase after 3600 BC. The fortification existed at the time of the Neolithic Michelsberg culture (4300-3500 BC). Numerous surface finds in the interior show that a settlement must have existed there, but it was questionable whether this existed for the entire existence of the fortification or only for a shorter period. The density of the settlement was also unclear. These questions were already addressed in 2013 and 2014 at an area near the Meisterturm, and it appears that the settlement only existed there between around 3700 and 3600 BC. These results must now be verified on other sites.
After various areas in the interior were examined last winter and spring with the help of geomagnetics by Partick Mertl M.A., Johannes Gutenberg University, excavations were carried out in September 2015 at a number of precise locations. The aim was to identify the anomalies in the ground visible on the geomagnetic map as former pits. As had already been done in 2013 and 2014 near the Meisterturm, such possible pits were to be completely excavated. The presumed pottery fragments and charcoal are dated and provide clues as to the duration of the occupation in the interior.
Where trees grow, flowers smell fragrant and birds sing, people also feel at home.
One of these feel-good spots is Pfingstweide, a beautiful park next to Hofheim hospital. A varied playground, the Schwarzbach stream flowing through the park, a small pond and a rich variety of flora and fauna make this a very special place. After the war, this area of around one hectare was used by allotment gardeners. After the gardens were abandoned, Gerhard Sieber planted many valuable trees and shrubs here in the early 1960s. The resulting green space was completely renovated and redesigned in 1991. Today, young and old meet here to enjoy nature, have a chat and spend time with their children in the playground.
The Hofheim memorial can be reached via the Kreuzweg / Ehrenmal intersection. Here there are several monuments to the inhabitants of Hofheim who died in wars in a circular enclosure. In the center is a pyramid-shaped, square memorial made of natural stone. It was originally erected in 1934 for the fallen of the First World War and a Siegfried figure stood on the base. Today, the memorial commemorates the fallen of the First and Second World Wars without the Siegfried figure. Five steles in the forest cemetery list the names of all Hofheim citizens who lost their lives in the two world wars.
The Rhein-Main-Therme in Hofheim am Taunus, Niederhofheimer Straße 67, with its water adventure world, sauna paradise, fitness and wellness facilities is open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. (different opening hours may apply on public holidays).
Discounts for citizens of the towns of Hofheim and Kelkheim as part of a short bathingtariff and early swimming
On presentation of an ID document with photo and address at the cash desk, citizens of the towns of Kelkheim and Hofheim can use the bathing area of the Rhein-Main-Therme (without sauna and fitness area) from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) as part of a short bathing tariff for 1.5 hours at the following prices:
Adults: € 6.00 Additional redemption (only possible once for the first 30 minutes) € 2.00
Children: € 2.50 additional charge (only possible once for the first 30 minutes) € 1.00
Families: € 13.00 Additional redemption (only 2 x for 30 minutes each possible) per person and additional redemption € 1.50
After 2 hours - or 2 ½ hours for families - the above prices change to the normal thermal spa rates. You can find these at: www.rhein-main-therme.de.
Early swimming
From Monday to Friday between 6.30 am and 9.00 am, early swimming in the 25 m pool of the thermal baths costs €100.00 per adult as part of a half-year ticket. The 25 m pool in the school and club sports swimming hall is also available until 8.00 am.