For the most part, Echzell is a typical Hessian town with a castle, cultural events, half-timbered houses, and lots of biking and hiking trails.
We could end this article here if that’s all there was to Echzell, but it’s not — so we won’t. ;-)
I won’t even say there’s a lot of history to Echzell. Nope, I’ll say there has been a lot of living over the years instead. People kind of made this area their home from around 500 B.C., with the Romans really putting their mark on the place.
In fact, Echzell lies right along the German Limes Road — more specifically, the Upper Raetian Limes and the Limes Hochtaunus. Echzell’s Roman Fort is 2000 years old; and its Roman Bath has been reconstructed so you can see what it must’ve looked like. The Romans had their gods, and the Jupitersäule is a monument to one of them.
In case you didn’t know, Echzell’s Evangelical Church is built right atop some Roman foundations.
After the Roman Empire fell, Europe was plunged into the Dark Ages — the very early days of the medieval period. Ooh, the Middle Ages, the time period that started to give us those castles we all love so much.
OK, so what if the Bingenheim Castle didn’t come along until the 15th century — but I can tell you this, a great view of it is looking through the trees over by the bridge.
FYI, the village of Bisses used to have one, but not since the Thirty Years’ War. That stinks, huh?
If you permit me, I’d like to go back to mentioning scenic routes again. Not only will you find Echzell along the old Roman border — but also close to the Barbarossaweg, along the Volcanic Cycle Route, and the St. Boniface Route (a pilgrimage route that marked the saint’s funeral procession).
When you’re not delving into the town’s history or traversing along the marked cycle routes, maybe you’d like to party at one of the awesome cultural events that happen around here? You know, stuff like Easter concerts and the Children’s Flea Market (April), and the 4-day Kerb every October.
I might have started off calling Echzell a typical town, but it’s far from it. That’s OK though, typical and ordinary is overrated — there’s nothing wrong with being exceptional. ;-)
