Oh yeah, I’m back over by one of my favorite castles of all time — Braunfels Castle. Now I didn’t say I was exactly in its home town, but right next door — in the town of Waldsolms. And I’m close enough to this medieval castle that it could count as an attraction, by the way. It does have a museum, so yes, I’d say it most certainly counts.
But, Waldsolms is more famous for its Coptic Monastery Church (dedicated to St. Anthony) instead of a daunting castle from the Middle Ages. Oh, I’m not complaining — the Coptic Church is the first of its kind built in all of Europe.
Pretty nifty I’d say, wouldn’t you?
Another of Waldsolms’ attractions would be its half-timbered houses located on Wehrstraße, and its Backhaus in the village of Kraftsolms. But, in my (not so) humble opinion, the best of Waldsolms is seen out and about in its countryside. Trust me, if you’re here in this town, you’re in the Taunus Nature Park — so you’ll most definitely love the outdoorsy side of the place.
There are a number of well-marked hiking trails through the countryside here — some with “themes,” like the Köhler Path; a 3km scenic area that’s all about the local vegetation. The Huguenot Path is all about the historical Huguenots (who founded the village of Hasselborn here), while the Panorama Trail will only take about an hour to finish. And if you got some time, there’s a dense forest in the village of Kröffelbach to get lost (not literally) in.
Kröffelbach itself is a charming little village of just over 775 people, dating back to the Middle Ages. It once had a thriving Jewish community, but sadly its synagogue was destroyed back in 1938.
Griedelbach is another village with around the same population, and located in what’s known as the Solmsbachtal area. Perfect… yet another charming village to wander around. You could head over to Weiperfelden, a village of less than 300 people, if you want to go someplace a tad less “crowded.”
What? Don’t make fun of me, some folks want to get away from overcrowded big cities; making Waldsolms absolutely perfect — and not only because of its proximity to one of Germany’s best castles.
