Activities in Nature

The region attaches great importance not only to preserving its unique landscapes, but also to shaping them and making them accessible to everyone. One result of this is the Regionalpark RheinMain. It comprises a large network of attractive trails throughout the region, known as regional park routes.

The routes, which cover a total of over 800 kilometres, lead through a diverse landscape with special recreational and adventure opportunities right on your doorstep. From every location in the region, you can quickly access the well-signposted routes, so that you can easily reach everything on foot or by bicycle. If you would like to discover the region on a Regional Park Route, you will find leisure maps with photos and information on the Regional Park website.

A little further north, in the Frankfurt-Gießen-Fulda triangle, lies the largest contiguous volcanic area in Central Europe, the Vogelsberg. The highest peak is the Taufstein at 773 metres. A hike through the Geopark Vogelsberg, which encompasses numerous geological formations and nature reserves, is particularly recommended.

If you head west from FrankfurtRheinMain, you will come to the scenic Rheingau region, which is best known for its wine growing. There are many beautiful towns there, including the internationally renowned Rüdesheim, as well as palaces, castles and monasteries. The Rheingau-Taunus Trail is ideal for exploring the area, leading through idyllic vineyards and past historic wineries – often with beautiful views of the Rhine River.

If you enjoy drinking wine, you've come to the right place. The Rheingau is one of the smallest but also most important wine-growing regions in Germany. Its Riesling enjoys an excellent international reputation.

The Rheinsteig runs along the Rhine between Wiesbaden and the towns of Bingen and Koblenz. The 320-kilometre hiking trail leads through spectacular landscapes and vineyards, as well as the famous Loreley Valley. The highest point of the Rheinsteig is the Loreley, which, with its 132-metre-high rock formation and fascinating view over the Rhine Valley, is one of Germany's most famous sights.

In the opposite direction, to the east of the metropolitan region, lies the Rhön. It is known for its high altitudes and UNESCO biosphere reserve. The highest point is the Kuhstein at 950 metres. In addition to hiking trails and numerous lakes for swimming, this low mountain range offers opportunities for gliding, paragliding, and canoeing.

South of the Rhön, you will find Germany's most densely wooded low mountain range, the Spessart Nature Park. The Spessart is best known for its extensive forests and is ideal for hiking and cycling tours. The highest point is the Geiersberg at 586 metres. 

Located between the Rhine, Neckar and Main rivers, the Odenwald is also one of the green retreats in FrankfurtRheinMain—the low mountain range impresses with its extensive forests, rolling hills and historic old towns. Hikes on the Nibelungensteig trail and cycling tours through the UNESCO Geo-Nature Park area are particularly popular.

Head south of FrankfurtRheinMain to find the Bergstraße Geo-Nature Park, which covers an area of over 3,500 km². The expansive landscape has been designated a ‘UNESCO Global Geopark’. Here you can hike and cycle along various routes and take part in creative activities or guided tours for all ages.

Amidst the urban landscape of FrankfurtRheinMain, numerous gardens and parks offer a welcome respite from hectic city life. These green oases invite visitors to relax and stroll, and are a popular meeting place, especially in summer.

A well-known example is Frankfurt's GreenBelt. It consists of forests, meadows, fields, parks and orchards, but you will also find sports and leisure areas here. The Green Belt is located within the Frankfurt city limits and covers about one-third of the area!

If you are interested in gardens and parks, you can find out more at GartenRheinMain. There you will find information on over 100 gardens and parks in the region. From historic and modern parks to botanical gardens, monastery gardens and orangeries, there is an excursion for everyone.

The Hesse Railway Cycle Route offers many different routes along former railway lines through the Vogelsberg and Rhön mountains. The routes, covering a total length of 310 kilometres, are fairly flat and therefore easy to cycle. 

If you want to plan your own cycle tour, you can do so online using the Hesse Cycle Route Planner, for example. The route suggestions developed there can be filtered according to various criteria, such as gradients. Sights and service stations are also displayed on the route.