At 420 metres, Olberode railway station marks the highest point of the Rotkäppchenland Rail Trail. Another way to spend your stay is to try the Stirnloipe, with its two easy circular routes. Seasonal activities at Olberöder See and cultural traces connected with the town round out the options. Depending on your interests, you can choose between exercise, water and local history.
Olberöder See through the seasons
Seasonal activities at Olberöder See include swimming and fishing in summer, and ice skating in winter. Holidaymakers can fish at the lake. However, the fee-paying visitor permit is issued only upon presentation of a valid visitor card and a valid fishing licence. So if fishing is part of your plans, make sure you have both valid documents.
Olberode’s visitor facilities also include a water-treading pool. Together with the lake, it makes water a distinct focus among the local attractions; the other facilities offer different experiences.
A cross-country ski loop or the rail trail
The Stirnloipe Olberode starts on Schwarzenbörner Straße in Oberaula, in the district of Olberode. It offers two easy circular routes, 5 and 7 kilometres long, through the Knüll’s uplands. The shorter loop keeps the route more compact; the longer is 2 kilometres longer. Both are classified as easy circular routes, so when choosing between them, you mainly need to consider the difference in distance.
The Rotkäppchenland Rail Trail follows the route of the former Knüllwald Railway. At Olberode railway station, it reaches its highest point at 420 metres. On the route, Olberode lies between Weißenborn and Hausen. On the Stirnloipe, you choose between two stated loop distances; on the rail trail, the station as the highest point and the sequence of villages are key reference points. The former railway line also gives the rail trail a different historical connection from the winter cross-country ski loops.
Local attractions and the history of a discovery
Olberode’s visitor facilities also include a forest fitness trail and a picturesque barbecue area with a shelter. Together with the water-treading pool, these attractions cater to different interests: exercise on the trail, time by the water or a break at the barbecue area. They complement the specific seasonal activities available at the lake and on the ski trail.
A discovery also links the town’s name with regional history: a flint dagger found within the boundaries of Olberode, estimated to be 3,500 years old, is housed at the Schwalmstadt/Ziegenhain local history museum. The dagger’s findspot and its present location are therefore different. For those interested in culture, this distinction is a useful point of reference when exploring Olberode’s history.
Oberaula in its wider landscape and cultural context
For a broader view beyond Olberode, the wider destination of Oberaula offers its own landscape and hiking context. Oberaula’s landscape is shaped by the Aula Valley and its tributary valleys, and is surrounded by the wooded hills of the Knüll Mountains, which reach heights of 500 to 600 metres. Oberaula also lies in a valley basin surrounded by rolling, rocky landscapes. The area also includes the three small streams Garteröder Wasser, Ostern and Hauser.
Oberaula has a well-marked and signposted network of hiking trails, as well as extensive maps for planning individual routes. The network is suitable for both short stages and long day hikes. The Rotkäppchenland Rail Trail also passes through Oberaula; its moderate gradients make it suitable for family cycling. These details about hiking and cycling routes refer to Oberaula and broaden the picture of Olberode by highlighting options in the wider destination.
Cultural sites there are also destinations in their own right: a restored organ in Oberaula is one of the town’s cultural and historical attractions. The Jewish cemetery is located at the edge of Oberaula on the road towards Kirchheim. Its valuable gravestones bear witness to the once large Jewish community.
For the wider travel overview: Oberaula.
