There are many ways to discover Hadamar: in museums offering insights into the city’s history and glass art, at an important memorial site, and on circular hiking trails through the surrounding area. The rose garden adds its own distinctly summery touch. Which of these aspects you choose to focus on can guide your day’s plans and your search for suitable accommodation in Hadamar.
Museums, Glass Art and City History
The Hadamar City Museum is housed in the Marstall, an outbuilding of Hadamar Castle built around 1625. Its permanent exhibition presents the city’s past and present from different perspectives in themed sections. Interactive stations for children and families offer a playful introduction to history.
The Glass Museum at Hadamar Castle focuses on a different subject. It is housed in the renovated living quarters of Prince Johann Ludwig in the castle. The exhibition covers a wide range of topics in glass art, which has a tradition of more than 70 years in Hadamar. It therefore focuses both on the craft and on the historic living quarters of the former princely family.
The classic city tour includes the grounds of the Renaissance castle, the Gothic Church of Our Lady and the Baroque parish church. Another exhibition is devoted to nativity scenes: the Hadamar Nativity Scene Exhibition displays examples from around the world in seven rooms. These places and subjects offer several distinct cultural highlights without needing to be combined into a single tour.
Hadamar Memorial
The memorial is located in the historic building of the former Hadamar killing centre. Visitors can tour the historic rooms and walk around the grounds. The permanent exhibition Moved to Hadamar: The History of a Nazi “Euthanasia” Killing Centre recounts the Nazi “euthanasia” murders in Hadamar in 1941 and from 1942 to 1945.
The outdoor exhibition, Garden – Institutional Cemetery – Memorial Site, also focuses on the grounds, particularly the former institutional cemetery and the site, which was transformed into a memorial landscape in 1964. It can also be visited outside the memorial’s opening hours. For planning your route, it is useful to know that the memorial is about a ten-minute walk from Hadamar train station.
Rose Garden, Circular Hikes and Cycling Routes
Hadamar Rose Garden was established in the mid-1990s on the Herzenberg plateau. During the summer months, it is a draw for botany and rose culture, offering a different way to experience the city than its museums and historic sites.
For hiking, the city administration’s “Wunderschön Wandern” hiking map features 17 varied circular trails around Hadamar. Signposted trails lead through local recreational and nature conservation areas; along the way, there are far-reaching views of the Westerwald and Lahn Valley uplands. The two circular routes described here have different points of reference: RWW 1 starts at the swimming pool in Hadamar, passes a 400-year-old oak and continues into Niederhadamar Forest. RWW 9 leads from Herzenberg towards Oberzeuzheim and Niederzeuzheim, then follows the Elbbach back to the city. Check the current route and conditions before setting out.
Hadamar is also connected to a long-distance route for cycling trips: the R8 long-distance cycle route passes through the city. From there, regional cycling routes branch off for further exploration of the area, connecting destinations in the nearby Lahn Valley and Westerwald. When planning, you can choose between focusing on cultural sites, taking a circular hike or cycling a section of the route. This also lets you tailor your accommodation search in Hadamar to the experiences you want to make the focus of your stay.
Discover More Destinations
Niederhadamar, Elbtal, Hünfelden, Mengerskirchen, Weilburg, Fussingen, Bad Camberg, Selters
For the broader travel overview: Limburg-Weilburg.
