Starkenburg – Hemsberg Bismarck Tower loop from Kreis Bergstraße

Hiking trails & Routes

Starkenburg – Hemsberg Bismarck Tower loop from Kreis Bergstraße

Hard

4.8

(236)

847

hikers

Starkenburg – Hemsberg Bismarck Tower loop from Kreis Bergstraße

05:05

16.8km

560m

Hiking

Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 5, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Geo-Naturpark Bergstraße-Odenwald

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

2.60 km

Heppenheimer Steinkopf Viewing Platform

Highlight • Viewpoint

Great viewing point with all kinds of information boards about the vineyards and geology. From the viewing point, when the weather is clear, you have a really great view of Heppenheim, Bensheim and Mannheim and also Ludwigshafen. Simply beautifully designed.

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2.76 km

View of Heppenheim

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From here you also have a beautiful view of Heppenheim

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5.38 km

Heppenheim Town Hall (Rathaus Heppenheim)

Highlight • Monument

The old town hall of Heppenheim on the historic market square is very nice to look at.

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5.48 km

St. Peter's Church (the "Cathedral of the Bergstraße"), Heppenheim

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The Catholic parish church of St. Peter is often called the "Cathedral of the Bergstrasse" because of its size, but it was never the seat of a bishop. There is …

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6.02 km

View of Heppenheim's Old Town and St. Peter's Church

Highlight • Viewpoint

A very great view and whoever is here should take a look at the small romantic market square

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6.40 km

View of St. Peter's Church and Heppenheim's Old Town

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In good weather you have beautiful views on and over Heppenheim on the way. Then there is the cathedral, which can be seen from above in its beauty.

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6.89 km

Starkenburg

Highlight • Castle

The Starkenburg stands on the 295 meter high Schlossberg and offers a spectacular view of the surrounding landscape. The fort was built in the middle of the 11th century as …

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15.3 km

Hemsberg Bismarck Tower

Highlight • Viewpoint

One of the numerous Bismarck towers that was erected as monuments for the founder of the empire around the turn of the century throughout Germany. The tower on the Hemsberg …

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16.8 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

12.2 km

1.95 km

1.32 km

1.20 km

124 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

5.80 km

4.53 km

3.96 km

1.75 km

724 m

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Sunday 11 October

16°C

3°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 6.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

April 22, 2025,Heppenheim Altstadt – Starkenburg Runde von Zell

A very beautiful trail through the vineyards to Heppenheim and through the old town. But then it climbs to Starkenburg, then up through the forest and up to Hemsberg, so the 600 meters of elevation gain add up, and by the end, I'm completely exhausted.

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June 4, 2023,Von Bensheim nach Heppenheim (Bergstr): Burgensteig Bergstraße E03

Start: Bensheim Bf
Destination: Heppenheim Bf
Length: 14 kilometers (incl. 1.5 KM access route)
Altitude: 420 meters in altitude
Difficulty: medium
Strong climbs to Starkenburg

Directions:
I had a week's vacation and the weather was great. That's why I make full use of the €49 ticket. I took the train to Bensheim this morning. The train route to the city …

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August 19, 2021,Starkenburg und Altstadt Heppenheim

No junction found at kilometer 12, therefore switched to B3 - it is better to run down at km 11.6

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May 11, 2025,Starkenburg – Ausblick auf Heppenheim Runde von Heppenheim (Bergstraße)

This tour had it all: a beautiful castle, paths through the vineyards with views of the Rhine plain, and a section through the forest. We started at the parking lot below Starkenburg Castle. We first visited the castle, which also houses a youth hostel. We continued along the 5-minute path to the panoramic trail with views over Heppenheim, then through …

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May 27, 2024,⚜️Burgensteig Bergstraße⚜️ Bensheim ➡️ Heppenheim

Stage 4 on the Burgensteig Bergstraße begins for us in Bensheim and ends in Heppenheim. First of all: fitness is an advantage here. It is only 12.8km, but it feels like a tough one. 🫠 After just 1.15km, the climb up the small, lousy Hemsberg, where you can find the small tower, begins. We are doubly unlucky: the climb is …

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March 21, 2026,Heppenheim (Bergstrasse)

Unfortunately, it was still too early for the almond and magnolia blossom 😔

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April 22, 2023,Burgensteig Bergstraße von Heppenheim nach Bensheim

The official stage actually goes to Bensheim-Auerbach. On the one hand, we have already hiked the section to Auerbach. On the other hand, the possibilities to stop and return in Bensheim are more comfortable, so we shortened the stage a bit. It's always nice to experience the Bergstraße in spring, especially the mixture of blossoms and fresh green 🌳💐🪻🌲

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June 24, 2024,24.06.24 Burgensteig und Bismarck: Im südlichen Hessen

I wanted to tackle a section of my Odenwald Castle Trail again so that I could get to Heidelberg at some point. So I planned a route from Bensheim to Heppenheim, which would also include the Bismarck Tower on the Hemsberg and the Starkenburg. However, as I had decided to walk the Castle Trail with the help of the Germany …

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