See & Discover

Providing some basic, funny, and sometimes not so well-known information about the abundant history of our town. For instance, did you know that Herborn not only is an historic trading hotspot, but also used to be home to a university of major reputation in Europe? Do you know our unofficial heraldic animal?

See all the points of interest, picturesque half-timbered houses, and a magnificent old town packed into a compact tour. The classic tour of the town is the ideal starting point, including elements from EVERY CONCEIVABLE topic of interest. Upon completion of this tour you can dive further into everything there is to know about Herborn by taking other tours related more closely to certain topics. Upon request and against a small surcharge, you can also book the Classic Tour in English.

Book anytime upon previous request!

Duration: approx. 90 minutes

Group fees: 40 € (1 through 15 persons)
                      50 € (from 16 through 25 persons)

From May through October the Classic Tour takes place every first Sunday of each month, starting at 2 p.m. in the courtyard of the "Hohe Schule".

Duration: approx. 90 minutes

Fee: 4 € per person (Registration not required)

Dates in 2020:

• May 3, 2020
• June 7, 2020
• July 5, 2020
• August 2, 2020
• September 6, 2020
• October 4, 2020

Due to the fixed conceptions and routes, in particular with respect to the tours related to a specific topic, and because of the numerous stairs, narrow paths and corners characteristic for our old town, our tours are unfortunately not accessible for everyone. However, as far as the Classic Tour is concerned, the tour may be redirected to a more accessible route on request. It is recommended to make this request when booking, as the redirection efforts will require a certain amount of preparation. We kindly ask for your understanding!

History for the young ones, suitable also for school classes. We would love to cater to the specific topics and subjects you are teaching in school.

Duration: approx. 60 minutes

Group fee: 35 €

What is the story behind Herborn’s infamous "Fastebrezel"? Where does its distinctive shape come from and what is the story of the baker with a lion in his coat of arms? And what has the church got to do with the "unfit trading good"? You will get all the answers to these questions during this tour. And at the end of the tour, there will be some heavy pretzel "dipping"… Availably only in February/ March in an open tour for individuals and small groups. Tickets available at the "Stadtmarketing" office!

Dates in 2020: February 22 and 29, March 7 and 14, Saturdays from 3 p.m.

Duration: 90 minutes

Fee: 10 € per person (incl. hot chocolate and pretzel)

Napoleon in Herborn? His extensive activities in the former Grand Duchy of Berg will be recounted with the help of Herborn’s historic sights.

Duration: approx. 90 minutes

Group fees: 40 € (1 through 15 persons)
                      50 € (from 16 through 25 persons)

A lot of popular sayings are very old, although some of them are still used to this day – so let us tell you where "the bear used to dance" or everything was "wrapped up". Don’t "weigh your words too carefully". Imbedded into a tour through our town you will learn in a rather amusing way what kind of "curtain lecture" used to be "beneath contempt" in the old days.

Duration: 90 minutes

Group fee: 45 € (up to 15 persons), each extra person 3 €

More than 760 years of history should provide ample material for a lot of interesting stories. Funny and exciting anecdotes from the last four centuries should make for a very entertaining tour.

Duration: approx. 90 minutes

Group fee: 45 € (up to 15 persons), each extra person 3 €

Following in the footsteps of some very interesting and important female personalities with an impact on the history of Herborn, we will introduce you to Princess Isabella of Nassau-Dillenburg. And who was this countess who walked to church across her own wooden gallery? Listen to the story of the school for midwifes operated by the "Hohe Schule", how the "Flora Herbornensis" came to life, and the very special role attributed to a potato flower...

Duration: approx. 90 minutes

Group fee: 45 € up to 15 persons, each extra person 3 €

Herborn is part of the Deutsche Fachwerkstraße (German Half-Timbered Houses Tour). For what reason? This tour will explain it all and then some! We will show you how to classify beautiful houses from six different centuries using five simple tricks or how to spot the characteristic distinctions in various wall designs. And what, exactly, is meant by stilted, post, floor and story construction?

Duration: approx. 90 minutes 

Group fees: 40 € (1 through 15 persons)
                       50 € (from 16 through 25 persons)

Get to know the exciting tale of the "Hohe Schule" that used to encompass the entire town. Learn all there is to know about how the institution was founded, its hey-day, and the rather hurtful process of its closure – in combination with a tour of the most significant buildings linked closely to the institute: castle, church, and town hall. Plus, an extra look into the auditorium as well as the adjacent museum.

Duration: approx. 90 minutes 

Group fees: 60 € (1 through 15 persons incl. entrance fee to the museum)

Have an amusing tour through the old town of Herborn presented in the "Herwisch Platt" idiom.

Did you always want to take a sightseeing tour in Herborn’s first and foremost foreign language, called "Herwisch Platt"? For those who are able to understand this rather special dialect, we now offer the classic and funny tour in Herborn’s own dialect.

"Nett verpasse - buche und üwerrasche lasse!" (Don’t miss it – book and see what happens!)

Duration: approx. 90 minutes 

Group fees: 45 € (up to 15 persons), each extra person 3 €

Come and discover facts and interesting trivia about our protestant "Stadtkirche" not everyone is familiar with, such as the numerous architectural styles spanning from the Romanesque to the Renaissance era, the Gothic choir, net vault, and the tomb of Princess Isabella Charlotte of Nassau-Dillenburg during a revealing tour.

Duration: approx. 90 minutes 

Group fees: 40 € (1 through 15 persons)
                      50 € (from 16 through 25 persons)

Listen to a tale of a castle, 10 towers and a 1000 meters long town wall. Follow the historic course of the town’s fortification that used to include a total of 23 towers and several gates. Apart from a number of sights to see along the way, one highlight will certainly be the castle hill with the best-preserved section of the town wall. Back in the day, some towers were also used as jails and, therefore, you will learn some interesting facts about the jurisdiction in the "good old days". This tour should only be booked by visitors who don’t mind taking longer walks!

Duration: approx. 90 minutes 

Group fees: 45 € (up to 15 persons), each extra person 3 €

Customs and habits, food and drinks, the day-to-day life – take a dive into the medieval world and learn everything there is to know about the "good old days". Try a typical dish consisting of mead and a slice of bread topped with lard or compound butter. After the tour you will be served a typical meal from "the old days" in a local Herborn restaurant. Available on request for groups from 20 persons up. On top of that, we also offer 1 or 2 "open dates" for individuals.

Duration: approx. 90 minutes

Fees: 25 € per person (incl. snack and mead, meal in a local restaurant, other beverages not included)

Have there been any werewolves and witches in Herborn? What, exactly, had been the executioner’s job? What legends and myths exist about Herborn and the neighboring region? Is there a treasure hidden in the 1000 years history of the "Stadtkirche"? Treat yourself to a real fun tour at nightfall. After hearing many creepy anecdotes and facts, a schnapps served at the end of the tour will really soothe your nerves.

Duration: approx. two hours

Fee: 6 € per person

Dates in 2020: October 30, November 6 and 7.

(Open dates for individuals and small groups from the end of October and in November, only in the evening, tickets available in the "Stadtmarketing" office, Groups from 20 persons up on request)

Take a tour down memory lane and discover many of the Jewish people who used to live in Herborn – including the "Stolpersteine", commemorating the fate of the Herborn Jews during the Third Reich, including a visit of the mikveh, the Holocaust memorial, and many other points of interest in relation to this topic.

Duration: approx. 90 minutes

Group fees: 45 € up to 15 persons, each extra person 3 €

In the weeks when the half-timbered houses of the old town are brightly illuminated by hundreds of lightbulbs high in the gables, the tour in the old town has a special and somewhat enchanted air about it. Our Classic Tour is then spiced with the magic of Christmas. This tour is available daily from the end of November up to December 23. Starting late in the afternoon.

Duration: approx. 90 minutes 

Group fees: 40 € (1 through 15 persons)
                      50 € (from 16 through 25 persons)

During a half-day bus trip, your natural park guide (Naturpark Lahn-Dill-Bergland) will tell you all there is to know about bells. From Herborn the bus will take you to Sinn where you will be given an insight into the art of bell casting since the 16^th century at "Glockengießerei Rincker". Then the bus will take you to the bell museum at Greifenstein castle, where you will be introduced to the various different uses and functions bells have had throughout the centuries. In order to get an excellent example of a church bell’s optimum sound design, you will then get a tour of the beautiful church in the village of Ballersbach, including its impressive bell tower. You should be somewhat surefooted on this trip into the fascinating world of bells, but at the end of the day, you will certainly fall for the fascination of bells sounding in perfect harmony.

Dates in 2020: May 16, June 6, August 27, September 12, and September 29
Meeting point and time: 1 p.m. from the square in front of the Herborn train station
Duration: approx. 5 hours
Fee: 39 € per person, incl. bus trip, tours and admission fees

Registration required up to 1 week prior to the date directly at joergwegerhoff@gmx.de or by phone under +49-172-1748810. The tours will take place with a minimum number of 10. Max. number of persons per tour: 20.

Want to take a Tour of the Town?

Please use our <link sehen-entdecken stadtverfuehrungen stadtfuehrung-buchen>booking form

We will send you an order confirmation in due time informing you that your booking request has been accepted and is binding. Please allow for one to two weeks processing for each booking, although we will try our very best to make bookings possible on shorter notice. However, requests for dates that are less than two weeks away and that were submitted on a relatively short notice, should always be accompanied by an additional request via phone or the below mentioned email address!

For more information, please call or write to:

Stadtmarketing Herborn GmbH
Bahnhofsplatz 1
35745 Herborn
Tel:  0 27 72 / 7 08 - 413
Fax: 0 27 72 / 7 08 - 9 19 0
E-Mail: b.ernst@herborn.de