Frankershausen combines a striking karst landscape with a fortified church whose history of construction dates back to the Early Gothic period. The P2 Frankershäuser Karst premium trail also starts in Frankershausen and leads through the Hielöcher Nature Reserve. When planning your visit, it is worth distinguishing this trail from access to the Kripplöcher section of the reserve: visits there are only possible as part of guided hikes.
Karst Landscape and Sinkholes
The Hie- und Kripplöcher Nature Reserve near Frankershausen is a karst area shaped by large and small, shallow and deep sinkholes. The Hie- und Kripplöcher area is the most significant sinkhole landscape in North Hesse. The various forms of sinkholes shape the character of the landscape and give the P2 Frankershäuser Karst premium trail its theme.
Sheep grazing is the most important conservation measure for maintaining the nature reserve; it preserves habitats for endangered animal and plant species. In the wider destination of Berkatal, the juniper landscape of the Hie- und Kripplöcher is also maintained through sheep grazing with Original Meißnerlamm. Kressenborn is listed as a natural monument in Frankershausen. Alten Teich, meanwhile, is a former sinkhole that has been developed into a natural pond with a shelter and benches.
Hiking and Access to the Kripplöcher
The P2 Frankershäuser Karst premium trail leads from Frankershausen through the Hielöcher Nature Reserve to Ellerstein and Großer Marstein. The route thus connects the village with named landscape features. When choosing this trail for your plans, note the distinction between it and the Kripplöcher section of the nature reserve: this area may only be entered as part of guided hikes led by guides specially trained for it. Check in advance which guided hikes are available.
Mill Nature Trail in Berkatal
In the wider destination of Berkatal, the Mill Nature Trail, opened in summer 2025, is located right by the sports ground. The sports ground is the starting point of the P2 Frankershäuser Karst premium trail. The trail combines a playground, a meeting place and an educational trail. Water features and a digital treasure hunt along the P hiking trail add to what is on offer. The water-play island lets visitors experience how water brings life and movement. Several different elements come together here: an educational trail, a meeting place, and play and water activities.
Fortified Church and Building History
The Evangelical church in Frankershausen is a listed cultural monument. Its Early Gothic core was expanded in the Classical style; its imposing chancel tower is a distinctive feature. The portico is lined with Doric columns. The church’s features include an organ by Fr. Krebaum and 18th-century gravestones in the cemetery. Its architecture, furnishings and historic gravestones offer different ways to appreciate this cultural monument, without reducing its building history to a single period.
Berkatal Local History Museum
Berkatal also offers a cultural attraction in its own right: the Berkatal Local History Museum is on the upper floor of the municipal administration building at Berkastraße 54. Visits are possible by telephone appointment only; arrange your visit in advance. The museum focuses on life, homes and work in the region in earlier times, with particular emphasis on the region’s mining history.
The museum’s exhibits include an old classroom, a colonial goods shop and a mineral collection established in 2019. On display are rocks and minerals with information about their uses, old miners’ lamps and mining equipment, as well as prehistoric objects from the Meißner foothills. Various tools illustrate agriculture and woodworking; the processing of flax and wool is also documented. The range of topics thus extends from natural history and prehistory to everyday life, work and mining in Berkatal.
For the wider travel overview: Berkatal.
