3BurgenWeg (Three Castles Trail)

Hiking trails & Routes

3BurgenWeg (Three Castles Trail)

Moderate

4.6

(1713)

5,503

hikers

3BurgenWeg (Three Castles Trail)

03:36

12.5km

310m

Hiking

Kronberg, Königstein and Falkenstein: All good castles come in threes. On this tour, you'll walk in the footsteps of the Middle Ages. Discover the impressive castle complexes and enjoy magnificent views over the Taunus and as far as the Odenwald forest. The starting point for the circular hike is in Königstein im Taunus, easily reachable by train from Frankfurt Central Station.

You leave Königstein and hike uphill to the Falkenstein castle ruins. From the hilltop castle and the nearby Dettweiler Tempel, you have a magnificent view over the rolling hills of the Taunus, the Frankfurt skyline, and far into the Rhine-Main plain. A wonderful vista that will accompany you throughout the day. You will soon reach the Viktoriatempel and then hike downhill to Kronberg. In this tranquil town, castle number two awaits you. It's worth enjoying the view from the tower of the fortress. In good weather, you can see from the Odenwald forest to the Spessart.

Afterwards, the path climbs a bit again and leads you past the Opel Zoo. If you still have time and feel like it, you can take a break in the zoo and see animals from all over the world in their enclosures. From the Opel Zoo, it's not far to Königstein, your starting point. To round things off, castle number three awaits you here. From the Königstein castle ruins – after all, one of the largest fortress complexes in Germany – you can once again enjoy a magnificent panorama before seeking out a restaurant in the town.

by Taunus.Die Höhe

Last updated: March 30, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Burghain - Falkenstein

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

2.13 km

View from Dettweiler Temple

Highlight • Viewpoint

The Dettweiler Temple is located 200 meters from the Falkenstein Castle ruins, hidden in the dense deciduous forest. It offers a fantastic view of the Rhine-Main plain. The "Dettweiler Temple" was built on the Teufelskanzel in 1896 in honor of Dr. Dettweiler (1837 to 1904). In 1996, after 100 years of existence, it was restored by the local history society. The Broermann Foundation renovated the temple again from the ground up in 2008.

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2.25 km

Ruins of Falkenstein Castle

Highlight • Castle

Falkenstein Castle was probably built in the middle of the 14th century. Although it is significantly smaller than the neighboring castle in Königstein, it is still worth a visit. From here you have a spectacular view over the rolling hills of the Taunus and far into the Rhine-Main plain. The castle ruins are open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April to October. Admission is 2 euros.

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5.66 km

Victoria Temple

Highlight • Monument

A lovely place to take a rest. From the Victoria Temple you have a beautiful view over Frankfurt and as far as the hills of the Odenwald. In the romantic pavilion you can sit in the shade and relax.

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7.95 km

Kronberg Castle

Highlight • Castle

From the 44 meter high tower of Kronberg Castle you have a great view of the region and on a clear day you can even see the Spessart and the Odenwald. The entire castle area extends to 18,000 square meters. The various buildings were built between the 12th and 19th centuries.

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10.2 km

Opel Zoo

Highlight • Structure

How about an exciting detour into the world of animals? From various species of monkeys to ground squirrels, you can observe more than 1,600 animals from over 230 species - mainly from Africa, Asia and Europe - in the Opel Zoo. More information about visiting the zoo: opel-zoo.de.

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12.2 km

Königstein castle ruins

Highlight • Castle

Königstein Castle was probably built in the 11th century and served to secure the important imperial road between Frankfurt and Cologne. At the end of the 18th century, the castle was destroyed by the French and has been a ruin ever since. The imposing castle is one of the largest fortifications in Germany. From here you have a fantastic view over the Rhine-Main plain and into the Taunus forests.

The castle is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the summer months. From November to the end of March, the ruin is only open to visitors on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is three euros. A large jousting tournament takes place at the castle every year on Ascension Day.

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12.5 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

4.76 km

4.57 km

2.06 km

555 m

539 m

Surfaces

3.87 km

2.96 km

2.91 km

2.05 km

596 m

< 100 m

Elevation

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

Highest point (480 m)

Lowest point (250 m)

Weather

Saturday 10 October

9°C

4°C

35 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 18.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

September 14, 2025,3-Burgen-Weg

This tour was on my way to Rheinhessen. From the castles and the Dettweiler Pulpit, there were beautiful views across Frankfurt to the Rhine-Main plain, the Taunus, and the Spessart mountains.

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May 29, 2025,3 Burgen Weg (Taunus)

Once again, I took advantage of my in-laws' visit to go hiking in the Taunus Mountains. The trip had been planned for a long time, and today it finally worked out. Unfortunately, the Königstein Castle ruins were closed due to construction work for the knights' tournament next weekend (we'll check it out on our next visit to the region).
The …

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October 6, 2024,Taunus, Königstein: 3BurgenWeg - Königstein, Kronberg Falkenstein

Very nice route through the beautiful towns of the Taunus. It also goes past the Opel Zoo.
At the end it goes a bit along the main road. Can be avoided if necessary.

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April 8, 2023,Eine Zeitreise auf dem 3BurgenWeg – die schönsten Wanderungen im Taunus

taunus.info/angebote/sport-und-outdoor/wandern/themenwege/3burgenweg/r-88

March 25, 2022,Eine Zeitreise auf dem 3BurgenWeg – die schönsten Wanderungen im Taunus

This tour was entertaining, varied and very nice.

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March 22, 2022,Drei Burgen Weg im März

The tour is very nice. However, the castles (Falkenstein, Kronberg) are closed from November to March, the Königstein castle ruins are only open on weekends from November to March.

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January 8, 2022,*3-Burgen-Wanderung: Burgruine Falkenstein – Burgruine Königstein - Burg Kronberg*

A beautiful, but also very strenuous hike today ...
Ms. Holle shook the pillows and duvets properly in the night and in the morning and so there was around 20 cm of fresh snow, which makes walking quite exhausting ... 😥
If you want to visit all 3 castles or ruins, you should note that the Falkenstein castle ruins and …

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May 28, 2022,Auf dem 3BurgenWeg 🏰🏰🏰

Three at once! That could be the motto of this hike.

It took me back to my home country for a few days. There was a lot on the agenda, but for half a day I was able to let go of all my commitments and go hiking in the nearby Taunus. Did I hike here at all? Hm, I …

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September 16, 2020

Kronberg, Königstein and Falkenstein: All good castles come in threes. On this tour, you'll walk in the footsteps of the Middle Ages. Discover the impressive castle complexes and enjoy magnificent views over the Taunus and as far as the Odenwald forest. The starting point for the circular hike is in

Showing Translation