Krombach lies 20 km north of Aschaffenburg in a Vorspessart valley. The town’s name is presumably derived from the stream of the same name, which winds for five kilometers through the valley. Two distinct focuses are available for planning your trip: local hiking trails and the history of the castle, church, and local court district.
Castle, Church, and Local History
In the 14th and 15th centuries, Hauenstein Castle was a hilltop castle in Krombach. It was built around 1375 by the knight Werner Kolling on behalf of his liege lord, Ulrich IV of Hanau. The approximate date clarifies the historical context; the builder and his patron place the construction in a specific political setting. Near the castle ruins, forest paths run north between the castle hill and the adjacent heights along the stream. Hauenstein is therefore associated both with the history of the castle’s construction and with the topography of the paths by the stream.
The Catholic parish church of St. Lambertus and St. Sebastian offers a different architectural focus: its nave was built in 1744, while the base of the tower dates back to the Middle Ages. At the church, the focus is on its different periods of construction; at Hauenstein, it is on the construction and its patron. The castle and church thus offer two different ways to explore local history.
Hiking in the Vorspessart
Krombach has 50 km of hiking trails through the scenic and varied Vorspessart landscape, which is rich in game. With this much to explore, hiking is a travel attraction in its own right, not just an addition to the historical points of interest. The landscape and game give the hiking experience a tangible connection to nature. This makes it easy to choose a clear focus for your trip: hiking and scenery, or castle and church history.
The history of the Krombach local court district offers another way to explore the area’s past and is presented along the Krombach Panorama Trail. Due to its border location, the court district remained a distinct judicial area for many centuries between places shaped by the Electorate of Mainz and those with a stronger Hessian influence. Local history therefore extends beyond individual buildings to the former territorial order. The focus here is not a building, but the historical role of a distinct judicial area.
The wider destination of Aschaffenburg
Looking at routes in Aschaffenburg district opens up a broader regional perspective within the wider destination of Aschaffenburg. The family-friendly Main Cycle Route runs through the district’s Main Valley and is well signposted. The Kahl-Spessart Cycle Route is also signposted and leads through the district’s landscapes. For hiking, Spessart Trails 1, 2, and 3 run through the district; they have already been awarded the “Quality Trail Wanderable Germany” certification four times by the German Hiking Association. The Eselsweg is a multi-day tour in Aschaffenburg district. These regional options differ from Krombach’s local hiking trails and historical themes in both activity and scope.
Discover more destinations: Johannesberg, Kleinostheim, Geiselbach, Alzenau, Mömbris, Rohrbrunner Forst, Sommerkahl, Rothenbuch
Return to the overview of destinations: Aschaffenburg.
