I’ll be the first one to say it, Germans are a weird bunch. We work too hard, we’re a formal (but direct) society, and we don’t believe in small talk. But, then right in the middle of it all, you’ll find surprising towns like Hofbieber (right within the Rhön).
What makes this place so gosh-darn special? And what’s this got to do about strange Germans? It’s only for the simple fact that Hofbieber has an awesome Barefoot Adventure (known as Barfuß-Erlebnispfad).
Yup, right in the middle of it all is a place where us uptight and stuffy (that’s not always a correct assumption) bunch kick off our shoes, and let our hair down. Here in Hofbieber there are 18 stations, all with different textures to help you relax and experience nature.
After a stop there, it’s all back to the business of sightseeing. And usually I’d get all excited about a castle like Schloss Bieberstein (built around 1710). But, no…
This time it’s going to be the Oppidium Milseburg that wins my heart. It isn’t a castle, but a remnant of an Iron Age settlement; believed to have once been home to a thousand people.
Even older, by the way, are the Bronze Age burial mounds that were found here.
Hofbieber also offers the Naturlehrgarten Fohlenweide, an educational trail and garden with real life eco-system exhibits on orchards, ponds, and wildlife like birds and amphibians.
This town isn’t all history and learning experiences, it’s about fun too. Rock climbing in the hamlet of Kleinsassen is a good start, as is the Toboggan Run. Golfing is good a sport as any, and things like carriage rides and swimming await you too.
If there’s a festival going on, all the sports will have to wait. You don’t want to miss the Pfarrfest (June), Village Fest (June), Brunnenfest (July), Waldfest (August), Summer Festival (August), or the Church Kirmes in September, do you?
No, didn’t think so. But, if I stay out on the barefoot path too long — can someone come get me? ;-)
