VILBELSTEIG (12.5 km)

Certified Premium City Hiking Trail / German Hiking Institute

An interesting combination

The Vilbelsteig is a city hiking trail certified by the German Hiking Institute, combining interesting areas of city and nature. In the urban area, this includes both historic and modern parks with their leisure facilities, as well as architecturally and industrially significant buildings. It also features cultural landscapes and newly created biotopes. Here in Bad Vilbel, all of this is represented. The trail offers a wealth of information on the most important historical and cultural sites of the city of 35,000 inhabitants and the landscape surrounding it.

First through the city center and parks

If you choose the starting point at the Bad Vilbel Süd S-Bahn station (South station), the route leads clockwise first through the urban areas with the lively shopping street Frankfurter Straße. From the new city center at Niddaplatz, across the architecturally interesting library bridge through the historic spa park. Along the Nidda, the path follows the river – the green soul and historical lifeline of Bad Vilbel.

Many leisure opportunities in the castle park

Via the market square with its historic buildings, the path passes the moated castle and its castle park. A stop here is worthwhile to visit the diverse leisure facilities, such as the Kneipp facilities and the large water playground. Tree lovers will find an extensive collection of trees in the parks – the Bad Vilbel Arboretum.

The view follows the ascent

After the Alte Mühle Cultural Center, the path continues through the old town, followed by a short ascent with beautiful views over Bad Vilbel. Across meadow paths, the lovely orchards are traversed before the path reaches the cooling city forest.

The former battlefield

Along the historical border, the path winds along the edge of the Berger Wiese. This was once the scene of the Battle of Bergen and Vilbel, popularly known as “Bloody Good Friday.”

Orchids in the biotope

The journey continues past the Alter Schießplatz biotope, where native orchid species bloom. After the Nature Meadow Project, the path goes uphill once more to the Bad Vilbel – Heilsberg district.

A bit of history at the end

This district, founded by refugees of the Second World War, offers a young but no less interesting history. Before reaching the South station again, you will pass the former site of the Siesmayer nursery and learn why it was so famous at the time but did not survive economically.

If the route is walked counter-clockwise, the stations appear in reverse order.