Birkenau (Odenwald) Travel Guide
A detailed destination guide for your next Germany vacation
Birkenau Overview
Birkenau is a village in the fabled Odenwald for est, about 25 kilometers north of Heidelberg (Heidelberg vacation rentals | Heidelberg travel guide), in the state of Hesse. Birkenau is an historic and picturesque location from which to base your vacation in central Germany: in 1995 it celebrated its 1200th anniversary. Our 2-bedroom vacation apartments have all the amenities, including a rarity in Germany: an American washer and dryer!
Birkenau borders in the north on the community of Mörlenbach (Mörlenbach vacation rentals | Mörlenbach travel guide), in the east on the community of Abtsteinach, in the south on the community of Gorxheimertal and in the west on the towns of Weinheim (Weinheim vacation rentals | Weinheim travel guide) and Hemsbach (Hemsbach vacation rentals | Hemsbach travel guide) (both in Rhein-Neckar-Kreis in Baden-Württemberg).
Owing to its location near the Bergstraße, a mild climate prevails in Birkenau, which can often be seen in what for Germany is a very early blossoming of almond trees.
In the Birkenau constituent community of Schnorrenbach is found a winter sport area with a 450 m-long downhill skiing slope and a skilift. In summer, grass skiing is possible. Floodlights have also been installed.
Where to stay in Birkenau (Odenwald)?
Check out our selection of hand-selected and quality Birkenau (Odenwald) vacation rentals and holiday apartments.
Things to See in Birkenau
Historic town hall (1552 – the oldest in Kreis Bergstraße) with pillory and ellwand
Schloss Birkenau, a Baroque palatial residence with the palace park of the Baron of Wamboldt
Dorf der Sonnenuhren, the “Sundial Village”, with more than 100 sundials
Sonnenuhrenschule Birkenau, a primary school
Around Birkenau are several nature conservation areas and a considerable number of hiking paths. These are found on the one hand in the woods around Birkenau, but on the other hand, the Höhenweg (“Height Way”, European walking route E1, plateau path between Birkenau and Reisen), for example, is also worth visiting, as there is a striking view over Birkenau and Nieder-Liebersbach.
[ source: Wikipedia
Maps and Driving Directions to Birkenau (Odenwald)
Birkenau
[ source: Wikipedia]
Related Sites
We collected some useful links related to Birkenau (Odenwald). If you know a few more sites not listed here, or also know some insider tips or point of interests for this destination? Please share and submit your Germany travel tip. If approved it will be shown on this page!
- Homepage of Birkenau (Odenwald): Birkenau (Odenwald) (official home page)
- Wikipedia: Birkenau (Odenwald)
- Official city page
- Schloss Birkenau
- Interactive map
- Lorsch Kloster
- Little White House
- Wikipedia
- TSV Birkenau
- European Walking Path E1
- Historiches Rathaus (Old Town Hall)
- Dorf der Sonnenuhren
More about the History of Birkenau (Odenwald)
Birkenau had its first documentary mention in 795 in the Lorsch (Lorsch vacation rentals | Lorsch travel guide) Codex as a cell of the Lorsch Abbey. As one of the Abbey’s holdings, it passed into the ownership of the Archbishopric of Mainz (Mainz vacation rentals | Mainz travel guide) in 1232. The centres of Hornbach and Balzenbach, on the other hand, belonged to Electoral Palatinate, meaning that after the Reformation, they belonged to different denominations. In 1532 the town hall was built, and in 1771 the palace, Schloss Birkenau, of the Lords of Wambolt von Umstadt. By 1964, the population had grown to more than 5,000. In 1967 the community was recognized as a recreational resort (Erholungsort) and in 1979 as an open-air resort (Luftkurort). Owing to the only slight tourism, however, it has not reapplied for this designation. In 1995, Birkenau celebrated its 1,200-year jubilee.
[ source: Wikipedia
What makes this Live Like a German Birkenau (Odenwald) Travel Guide special...
This Birkenau (Odenwald) travel guide provides you with an overview of Birkenau (Odenwald), Birkenau (Odenwald) pictures, and a local travel guide that suggests many special trips, unique activities, and vacation ideas, that you can't find in a typical Germany travel guide.
Some of this information is compiled from popular and well-known sources (e.g., such as Wikipedia, Wikitravel, and great pictures from Flickr). However, what makes this Germany travel guide special is that most of the travel suggestions and insider tips are provided by local residents, property owners, and our readers, who share and submit their travel tips with us. All submissions are then editorially reviewed to ensure high quality. All this information is logically organized within this destination guide to make it easy for you to find things quickly.
In addition, the Birkenau (Odenwald) destination guide features restaurant recommendations, restaurant reviews, where to go for grocery shopping, sports activities, getting around, cultural events and highlights, entertainment, and health related information - so you are informed for your travel to Germany, and you can learn about all the cool things you can do during your Germany vacation!
