Only a few minutes northeast from the city of Kassel on the Fulda River and bordering the Reinhard Forest is the Hessian town of Fuldatal. There are six villages that make up the town and not one is less than 600 years old.
But, that’s not reason alone to visit Fuldatal. The Reinhard Forest is though. This densely forested mountainous area once belonged to Heinrich II and now holds all sorts of goodies for anyone willing to trek through it. It’s the place of legends, it’s the place of the Brother Grimm, and it’s fabulous.
And the forest borders the state of Lower Saxony so you might find yourself there if you hike far enough.
Nature lovers will get the most out of the Reinhard Forest and so will the kids. It’s home to the Tierpark Sababurg, the largest and oldest nature game park in all of Europe with many domestic, endangered, and threatened species of animals. At the Tierpark Sababurg twice a year is a medieval market (late summer and before Christmas).
Also in the Reinhard Forest is the Sababurg Jungle. No, not the tropical rainforest kind, but this is where you’ll find the a heavily protected area of the forest, dense with red beeches and oak trees. One oak tree is 700 years old!
Then there are the ruins of the Burg Knickhagen. Not much remains of this medieval castle and for some reason or another no one knows when it was deserted.
You can learn more at the Fuldatal Local History Museum, which is in the village of Simmershausen. That’s where you’ll also find many timber framed houses. And there’s a gorgeous basilica church in Wilhelmshausen, too.
So, come to Fuldatal and camp out in the forest, learn its history and legends, shop a medieval market, and spend a day with the animals. Sounds like a good plan. :-)
