In Butzbach, you can explore half-timbered houses in the old town, Roman finds and hiking trails through a range of themed activities. To plan your visit, first decide whether you would like to focus on historic buildings, exhibitions or a hike. Events and guided tours also offer different ways to discover the town.
Half-timbered old town and medieval traces
The historic old town is defined by its half-timbered houses and market square. From there, you can explore remnants of the medieval town wall. It was built between 1321 and 1368; the historic fortifications include the Hexenturm (Witches’ Tower) and the Schwibbogenhäuser. In the old town, you can therefore encounter both individual historic buildings and traces of the former fortifications. The Gothic St. Mark’s Church dates from the 15th century. The Wendelinskapelle, a half-timbered chapel, also dates from this period. Those interested in architectural history will find several distinct historic themes here: half-timbered buildings, religious architecture and town fortifications.
Museum: miniature shoes and Roman finds
The Butzbach City Museum combines special collections with archaeological finds. It houses the world’s largest collection of miniature shoes, assembled by Richard and Emilie Fenchel. Important finds from a Roman cohort fort and its associated civilian settlement are on display in the Roman section in the vaulted cellar. The museum regularly presents travelling and themed exhibitions; the exhibition program may change. If a particular exhibition is important to your visit, check in advance what is currently on display. The miniature shoe collection and the Roman section have different focuses and can be explored as separate themes during a museum visit.
Guided tours and events
Butzbach offers guided tours of the old town, themed tours, Weidig tours and tours in English. The different formats focus on different subjects, from a tour of the old town to one devoted to Weidig. As schedules may change, check the dates in advance if you want to plan a guided tour as part of your visit. The traditional Butzbach Faselmarkt fair has been held in March since 1494. The open-air cinema in Butzbach takes place in the courtyard of Butzbach Landgrave’s Castle. If you would like to plan your stay around an event, check the specific dates.
Hiking with a thematic focus
The 15-kilometer Weidig Hiking Trail connects Langgöns with Butzbach and ends in Butzbach. Twelve interactive stations explore freedom, responsibility and democracy. The trail combines an experience of nature with political education, complemented by digital resources and audio guides. So its length is not the only useful point to consider when choosing a route: its theme also sets it apart from trails focused solely on scenery. When planning, consider whether the combination of hiking and political education appeals to you.
The Limes and the surrounding landscape
Near Butzbach, watchtower 4/33 is located on the Schrenzer, southwest of the town. A reconstructed wooden watchtower marks the site; the foundations of the later stone tower have also been preserved, and a section of the Limes palisade has been reconstructed. North of Butzbach, the rampart of the Limes fortification between Butzbach and Pohlheim is very well preserved over long stretches because it was incorporated into the later landwehr. The two descriptions offer different points of interest: a marked watchtower site with reconstructed elements, and a longer preserved section of rampart.
The observation tower on the Hausberg above the Butzbach district of Hoch-Weisel offers a different perspective on the landscape. The 486-meter-high tower looks out over the broad Wetterau plain. Near Hoch-Weisel, the Wacholderheide and Streuobstwiese area is also protected under European law as a Flora-Fauna-Habitat area. This designation describes the character of the landscape; it is a different subject from the view from the Hausberg.
The Wetterau as a regional setting
The Wetterau provides the broader regional setting. A network of regional and long-distance cycling routes crosses the Wetterau, and many of these routes connect with one another. Nature reserves in the Wetterau district are accessible to visitors via information boards, observation points, hiking trails and cycling routes.
Discover more destinations: Nieder Weisel, Friedberg, Echzell, Nidda, Rosbach vor der Höhe, Büdingen, Bad Nauheim, Gedern.
Go to the main travel overview: Wetterau.
