Panorama Trail - Hatzfeld (Eder)

The trail leads through varied hills and valleys, through forests and open, richly textured fields. The town of Hatzfeld with its castle and the nature conservation areas of the Schneitelwald forest are culturally, historically, and ecologically interesting stops. The panoramic trail lives up to the promise embodied in its name.

The tour starts at the barbecue hut, which offers a beautiful panoramic view of the town of Hatzfeld (Eder). We recommend walking counterclockwise. With the hiking trail behind you, the trail climbs into the deciduous forest. A nature trail along the edge of the forest offers magnificent views over Ebenfeld to Reddighausen.

On the way down into the valley, you'll cross a road and then reach the edge of the forest at Ringelsberg. As the trail circles the old town on forest paths and trails, note the hairpin bend that takes you down a steep path to Hatzfeld Castle. Immerse yourself in the history of the castle and the town.

Hatzfeld Castle, built in the 13th century, was the ancestral seat of the Lords of Hatzfeld. In their conflicts with the Marburg Landgraves, they generally sided with the Archbishopric of Mainz, whose governor resided in Amöneburg. The Hatzfelds were also energetic followers of Mellnau Castle as castle guards. After the Hatzfeld-Hatzfeld line died out in 1570, the property gradually passed to the Hessian Landgraves. The castle began to decay as early as the early 16th century, and in 1842, parts of it were demolished by order of the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt. In recent years, the Hatzfeld Castle and Local History Association has gradually restored parts of the castle. The castle complex is still owned by the Hatzfeld family today (www.burgverein-hatzfeld.de).

Around the castle there are worthwhile views of the Eder valley.

The trail then leads through an old cultural landscape, the "Schneitelwald" (Schneitel Forest). The hornbeams to the right and left of the path were regularly cut back (cut to the stump) in the 19th century. Branches and leaves were dried and fed to the animals in winter. From here, a short detour leads to the Burggraben Information Center.

Tip: The former moat leads from the castle above Hatzfeld downhill to the castle path. At the lower end of the moat, the Hatzfeld Moat Information Center was created, a hillside garden with tiered beds, an old exposed dry stone wall, the exposed entrance to an old tunnel, and a resting area for hikers and walkers.

Shortly afterwards the path reaches a clearing with a view of Hatzfeld and the Emmaus Chapel.

The hiking trail winds its way along forest paths, surrounded by deciduous forest. Suddenly, an agricultural slope opens up, and the trail continues zigzagging uphill through meadows and fields. Already halfway up the raised hide, your view stretches far to the south, all the way to the Sackpfeife, one of Hesse's highest mountains with its radio tower. The trail continues steadily uphill to the "Hardt" lookout point. Here, you'll be rewarded with panoramic views in all directions. At the Hardt, the panoramic trail winds its way along a narrow path through hedges and a small oak grove.

A huge old oak guards the entrance of the panoramic trail into the forest. Wide forest paths lead up to the old crossroads, lined with a sparse mixed forest of larch, beech, spruce, and oak, as well as old and new clearings. From the crossroads, the trail heads back toward the town, offering repeated views of the surrounding countryside and neighboring valleys. Shortly before reaching the residential area, the forest path narrows to a romantic trail through enormous broom bushes on both sides. The path follows a short stretch of gravel road before suddenly turning right into the bushes. At the bottom, the path changes direction again and reaches a rest area with distant views to the west of the foothills of the Rothaargebirge. Passing through old orchards with a view of Mount Pracht, the trail soon descends along the edge of the forest and into the valley.

After crossing the country road again, the trail continues uphill through fields and meadows toward Ebenfeld. West of Ebenfeld, the panoramic trail runs through private property, formerly known as the Schäferhof.

The path leads left in front of the garage up to the edge of the forest and continues above the farm towards Ebenfeld. There, the panoramic trail turns north to circle the Pracht mountain.

Initially following paths through a sparse deciduous forest, the panoramic trail climbs steadily, lined with ferns and ground cover, finally reaching the crossroads with the "Erinnerungseiche" (Eagle of Remembrance) tree north of the "Pracht" mountain. From here, the trail descends on wide forest paths back toward Hatzfeld and your starting point. The many seating areas around the barbecue huts invite you to linger and offer unobstructed views of the Hatzfeld Castle ruins and the previous section of the trail—ideal for reflecting on your hiking experience.

Disruption report on the premium hiking trails of the hiking fairytale Burgwald-Ederbergland

Occasionally, due to severe weather or damage, a fallen tree may block the trail or a marker may be missing. Therefore, we ask for your assistance if you notice something while out on the trail.

Please notify us and send a short info:

• Which premium hiking trail is it?
• Where exactly is the disruption on the route (GPS data or detailed description)?
• Description of the problem
• Please send us a photo

You can reach the route management at:
Telephone number: 0151 / 2021 1313 (WhatsApp/Signal)
Email: wegemanagement@wandermaerchen.eu