In the centre of the Hunsrück region

Simmern

Culture, history, nature and leisure time activities

Special cultural and historical features A tour of a town with an exciting history

Simmern’s main landmark bears the name of

Germany’s most famous outlaw, Johannes Bück-

ler, known as “Schinderhannes”. In February

1799, he was detained in the former gun powder

tower. In August 1799, he made a spectacular

escape from the tower, something which had

been considered impossible up until that point.

The tower was one of the few buildings in the

town to survive the destruction of 1689.

Today, with its medieval atmosphere, the tower

is used for exhibitions and conferences. In the

former dungeon the Hunsrück Museum displays

the exhibition entitled “Schinderhannes –

Myth and Reality”.

Located in the heart of Europe and with the

international Frankfurt-Hahn Airport close by,

Simmern has a lot to offer you.

Follow the trail taken by the legendary outlaw

Schinderhannes or explore and enjoy the

picturesque scenery in the nearby Soonwald Nahe

Nature Reserve.

In addition to the unspoilt scenery and the

healthy climate, there are a large number of sport

and leisure time facilities in Simmern as well as

undreamt-of possibilities for an activity holiday.

The Schinderhannes and Soonwald cycle tracks in

the region are available to cyclists as are many

other extensive cycle tracks.

There are a lot of sights to be discovered and

lingered over – the churches, the Neue Schloss

[The New Castle] with the Hunsrück Museum,

the Schinderhannesturm [Schinderhannes Tower]

and much more. A modern leisure time pool with

an attractive sauna landscape and the outdoor

swimming pool provide a great deal of variety.

Experience the friendly atmosphere of a small

town during a good long shopping excursion in

the pedestrian precinct and enjoy the variety of

pubs and restaurants.

Enjoy the heart of the Hunsrück!

At thirty points during the cultural and histori-

cal tour of the town you will find information

on people, buildings and events featured in the

history of the town of Simmern. In this respect,

an engraving made by Matthäus Merian in 1645

shows how the town developed after its destruc-

tion between May and September 1689 during

the War of the Palatine Succession [the Nine

Years’ War].

Simmern - In the centre of the Hunsrück region

Der Schinderhannesturm(Schinderhannes Tower)

Johannes Bückler (1778/9-1803) is one of the most well-known robbers in German history. At the age of 15 he began his criminal career as a petty thief. Imprisoned several

times, he was always able to escape. With his band of thieves he stormed the houses of wealthy merchants or extorted large sums of money by means of begging letters, signed “Johannes durch den Wald” (“Johannes through the Forest”). He issued “safety cards”, which were meant to guarantee the holders safe passage through the forest. For many years all attempts to arrest him failed. It wasn‘t until June 1802 that he was arrested near Limburg and handed over to the French in Mainz, where he and

19 fellow prisoners were sentenced to death by guillotine on 20 November 1803.

They were executed one day later.

Schinderhannes

2 3

www.simmern.de

ContentsSPECIAL CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL FEATURES

The Schinderhannesturm

[Schinderhannes Tower] Page 3

The churches Page 4

Das Neue Schloss [The New Castle]

with the Hunsrück Museum Page 6

Culture in the surrounding area Page 8

Cultural variety Page 10

PURE NATURE...

Hiking Page 12

Cycling Page 13

LEISURE TIME ACTIVITIES

For children Page 14

The Soonwald [The Soon Forest] Page 15

The Simmersee [Simmer Lake] Page 16

The outdoor swimming pool Page 17

The leisure time pool Page 18

Addresses

Römerberg BastionRömerberg Bastion, which was restored in

2005/6, was the angle tower of the town’s

former fortifications, with a round cupola.

The old bastion had only one entrance,

through a hole in the vaulted ceiling, which

probably means that it was formerly used as

a prison. The upper part of the tower was

used as a guardroom.

Die Stephanskirche(Saint Stephen’s Church)The Protestant Stephanskirche [Saint Stephen’s

Church] was the centre of a large medieval

parish. Duke Johann I laid the foundation stone

of the current building in 1486 (construction was

completed in 1510); the church is late gothic in

style and has a nave and two aisles.

The tower and the sacristy are on the long choir

section on the northern side, while the mausole-

um of the Prince of Simmern is on the southern

side.

The tombstones in the Annakapelle [Saint Anna’s

Chapel] are among the most important works of

sculpture to be found in the Middle Rhine region.

They were created in the workshops of Jakob Ker-

re, of Johann von Trarbach, who lived in Simmern,

and of Hans Ruprecht Hoffmann.

Worthy of mention are the tombstones of Duke

Johann I, Johanna von Nassau-Saarbrücken,

Emilia von Württemberg and the double tomb-

stones of Duke Johann II and Duke Reichard.

With the epitaphs inscribed on these tomb-

stones Renaissance sculpture in the Middle Rhine

region around the 15th century reached its full

flowering.

Saint Joseph’s Catholic Parish Church in the Klos-

tergasse was built in 1749-1752 in accordance

with the plans of the master builder Johann

Jakob Rischer of the Electoral Palatinate. The rec-

tangular long room adjoins the semi-circular choir,

at whose apex the belfry rises with its cupola.

A two-storey portico with a portal and a flight

of steps connects the church to the former Car-

melite convent built in 1703/04.

The ceiling frescoes created by the Mannheim-

based court painter Francesco Bernardini are in-

teresting from the point of view of the history of

art; they illustrate the worship of the Child Jesus.

The original high altar is attributed to the Mann-

heim-based sculptor Paul Egell.

Die Josephskirche(Saint Joseph’s Church)

4 5

The Stumm Organ from 1782 was built in the workshop of the Huns-rück-based organ builder Stumm. The Stumm family, whose main re-presentative is Johann Michael Stumm, is one of the most famous organ building dynasties in Ger-many. They built more than 370 organs (140 of which are still maintained or have been restored) across seven generations.

The historicalStumm Organ

www.simmern.de

The Hunsrück Museum in Simmern provides

insights into the natural and cultural landscape

and the economic history of the Hunsrück region

and into the history of the Palatine Counts in Sim-

mern, and displays jewellery worn by the Princes

of Simmern as well as information on the book

printing trade and the minting of coins.

Almost all of painter and sculptor

Friedrich Karl Ströher’s (1876-1925) life’s

work is exhibited as part of a rotating

exhibition in the rooms housing the

Ströher art collection. Sketches from his

time as a student at the Colarossi Academy

in Paris, oil paintings from journeys through

Spain and France, works from his time as a

student at the Berlin Academy and expressioni-

stic watercolour paintings from the last years of

his life, which he spent in his native Hunsrück, are

worth seeing as much as the sculptures, coloured

woodcuttings and biographical documents.

Das Neue Schloss(The New Castle)Under Duke Friedrich I (1459-

1480), the former medieval

castle in Simmern had been

converted into the residence

of the dukes of Simmern, but

was destroyed 200 years later, in

1689, during the War of the Pa-

latine Succession [the Nine Years’

War]. The Neue Schloss [The New

Castle] was built in 1708-1713. The

building consists of a main structure with

two side wings jutting forward in classical

style. Both side wings were originally surrounded

by a castle moat. After Napoleon gave the castle

to the town as a gift in 1802, it was used as a

court, then later as a school, a garrison, a place of

detention and as service apartments.

Today, the building contains the Hunsrück Muse-

um, the art collection of the famous painter and

sculptor Friedrich Karl Ströher, the library in the

Neuen Schloss [New Castle], a ballroom with a

foyer, a room in which civil wedding ceremonies

are held and the Tourist Information Office.

Friedrich Karl StröherArt Collection

The Hunsrück mountain range has been the

backdrop for many cinema and television films,

including the films “Schwarzer Kies” [“Black Gra-

vel”] and “Schinderhannes”, directed by Helmut

Käutner.

The director Edgar Reitz made cinematic and

television history in Germany with the legen-

dary film and television series “HEIMAT 1, 2 and

3”; in the process he also made the Hunsrück

region world-famous. The shooting of the series

is featured in the film section of the Hunsrück

Museum in the form of props, photographs and

documents.

The director Edgar Reitz, an honorary ci-

tizen of Simmern and himself a child

of the Hunsrück region, is the great

epic poet of German cinema. He

reinvented the cinematic novel

for television. With the Huns-

rück-based epic “HEIMAT”,

Reitz found his life’s theme.

On the last of the 204 days

spent shooting “HEIMAT 3”,

he said: “I regret that we

cannot continue the story

until its end...” The man has a

vision. Still.

The Hunsrück Museum

6 7

HEIMAT film exhibition

Discover the culture of the surrounding area

Following an appeal made by

the German student body after

Bismarck’s death in 1898, the

construction of monuments in

memory of Imperial Chancellor

Bismarck began throughout Ger-

many. The 17.5 metre-high Sargen-

roth Tower, with two staircases and

a platform, was built from Soon Forest

quartzite in accordance with the plans of

the Dresden-based architect Wilhelm Kreis. From

the top of the tower the observer can enjoy a

beautiful view of the whole Hunsrück landscape.

8 9

In the tenth century, the Noble Rabangar built a

castle here on the steep rocks above the Simm-

berbach [Simmer Stream]. In 1072, the castle cha-

pel was consecrated and the Augustinian male

choir was founded. The 42 metre-high building

on the west side, part of the monastery built in

the Middle Ages, with two towers and many re-

liefs and sculptures, has survived the ravages of

time. The high altar with a crucifixion group dates

from 1722. The organ was set in place in 1738.

The instrument used today was purchased from

the parish of Saint Nicholas in Kreuznach in 1898;

it had been built in the eighteenth century and

was overhauled several times during the twentieth

century.

Hunsrück Cathedral in Ravengiersburg

Typical farm implements and machines, such as

ploughs, manual tools, wagons and bridles are on

display in what used to be a barn. A flour mill is

a reminder of how indispensable mills were for

the daily demand of flour. Old village trades are

illustrated in different sections of the workshop –

blacksmith, thatcher, cabinetmaker, shoemaker,

barber, tailor and dressmaker. The implements used

for processing flax and cloth processing on the farm,

and those used by the butcher, bee-keeper, basket-

weaver, etc. are also on display. The house

dating from 1750 displays aspects of rural

living conditions, including an old kitchen

and the living and sleeping arrangements.

The Cultural and Historical Museum in Neuerkirch

The Bismarckturm (Bismarck Tower)near Sargenroth

As a former pilgrimage church, surrounded

by old trees the picturesque church in Sar-

genroth is one of the landmarks of the

Hunsrück region. Only the tower remains

from the medieval church building; the

nave was rebuilt in 1745. The paintings

in the window reveal and in the choir

circle, illustrate the Visitation of Mary and

the Wise and Foolish Virgins, date from the

fourteenth century.

The Nunkirche (Nun Church)

The old mill was built in 1887 and operated by a

cooperative. It was forgotten for decades until the

citizens of Niederkumbd replaced the millwheel

themselves and made the mill operable once

again.

The mill in Niederkumbdwww.simmern.de

www.bismarcktuerme.de

Simmern offers a wide range of cultural activi-

ties – plays performed by great actors, comedy

and cabaret with big national stars, but also with

artists from the region, exhibitions and readings,

big concerts featuring music from classical through

rock, pop and musicals to hits and folk music are

all permanent features on the events calendar in

Simmern. You will find a cinema with one of the

best programmes of films in Germany in the form

of the town’s multi-award-winning Pro-Winzkino.

The Schinderhannes Festival, which began in

2007, is based on the myth of Schinderhannes.

His fleeing from the tower triggered a great

deal of speculation. The historical play the

“The Escape” is based on these rumours and

provides reasons for the way in which human

beings behave, which are as relevant today as

they were centuries ago.

Cultural variety in the Hunsrück region

10 11

The team in the Tourist Information

Office would be pleased to inform you about current events:

Simmern Tourist Information Office

Neues Schloss D-55469 Simmern

Tel. +49(0)6761 - 837 296 Fax. +49(0)6761 - 837 299Tourist-info@vgvsim.de

www.simmern.de

Concerts, exhibitions, readings und theatre

The Hunsrück CommunityHallWith the Hunsrück Arena, the largest events are-

na in the Rhine-Hunsrück district, Simmern offers

a wide range of possibilities for cultural events of

all types.

The Hunsrück Community Hall is located in the

centre of the town. A large number of free par-

king spaces are available in the surrounding area.

Regular events, e.g. the “Harmony Concert”

featuring the Rhinish Philharmonic Orchestra,

concerts involving cooperation with radio and te-

levision, balls and musical performances all take

place there, as do afternoons for the elderly, the

women’s breakfast and regional trade fairs.

Discover Simmern, the culture town in the Hunsrück region!

Pure nature... on the shoemaker‘s horse

Discover the forests and hills around Simmern.

Sometimes romantic and steeped in legend, at

other times wild and winding – that is the austere

and beautiful Hunsrück region.

Start your hike in Simmern in the Soonwald Nahe

Nature Reserve. It ranges from the plateaus of

the Hunsrück mountain range, over the quartzite

crests of the Soonwald [Soon Forest] with its deeply

carved river valleys, to the slopes of the Nahe Valley.

In the Soonwald Nahe Nature Reserve experience

the interplay between the contrasting types of

scenery, the unmistakeable character of the region.

You can obtain information on the many hiking

trails around Simmern and Soonwald Nahe Nature

Reserve directly from the Tourist Information Office

in the Neuen Schloss [New Castle] in Simmern.

Hiking adventures in the Soonwald Nahe Nature Reserve

www.naturpark-soonwald-nahe.de

Pure nature... on a bike

Would you like to be inspi-red by the natural scenery in the Hunsrück region? With competent hiking guides let yourself be enchanted by the scenery. Pack some sandwiches and a drink and simply enjoy a nice day in the outdoors with friends!

Guided Hikes

12 13

Cycling fun and activy routes

www.hunsruecktouristik.de

www.radwanderland.de

Experience cycling fun where steam locomotives

once panted and puffed – 38 kilometres of cycle

tracks on the former train line between Simmern

and Emmelshausen, known as the Schinderhannes

cycle track. Far from busy streets, cycle along com-

pletely asphalted tracks through wonderful scene-

ry with fabulous views of the Hunsrück hills.

Or cycle along the Schinderhannes-Soonwald

cycle track to the edge of the Soonwald [forest]

and alongside this chain of hills to Gemün-

den. The hills and forests of the Hunsrück offer

ambitious cyclists ideal terrain for extended

mountain bike activity trips.

Discover a love of the forest and choose from a

wide range of ideas and activities for young and

old contained in the Sargenroth Youth Hostel’s

annual programme.

In addition to fabulous experiences, for example

abseiling from a 17 metre-high observation tower

or an evening camp fire followed by bivouacking,

an exciting programme of adventures is created,

resulting in fun being had in and with nature.

Explore a stream while out and about with a sieve

and a magnifying glass, and build a two metre-

high watchtower with the professionals. Discover

the animals that come out at night during noc-

turnal rambles with the ranger. Or let the forest

inspire you as you paint and draw from nature.

An attractive, varied range of leisure time and

recreational activities await children, teenagers

and adults in Schmiedel Park. A system of large

metal climbing pipes, a “mud complex” and the

sandpit pavilion are perfect for the very small ones.

A cableway, climbing frames and swings test

the motor functions and coordination skills of

older children. Goats, sheep and peacocks can be

seen in the petting zoo. “Luck on horseback” can

be tried live in the riding arena. The well-tested

mountain bike track and a half pipe represent a

special challenge for teenagers. And admission to

all of this is free!

Pure nature... in Schmiedel Park

The broad range of leisure time activi-

ties for children and teenagers in

Simmern offers all their hearts

could desire and is based

on the interests of young

people. Amongst other

things, many play areas

and an indoor activity

park are available for

children. Teenagers can,

for example, go wild in

the skater park and the

streetball park. You can

find an overview of all the

leisure time activities for

children and teenagers on the

Simmern children’s map.

Being young in Simmern

Pure nature... in the Soonwald (forest) Right at the gates of

Simmern

Great opportunities for children and teenagers

14 15

Adventure and relaxationin the SargenrothYouth Hostel

www.julius-reuss-wohnheim.de

www.diejugendherbergen.de

www.wald-rlp.de

www.dschungeldorf.de

www.simmern.de

In the Nature.Fitness.Park six selected, well-

marked routes are available for different types

of fitness sports practised close to nature, e.g.

nordic walking. Here you have the opportunity to

experience close up all of the facets of the scenery

in the Hunsrück region.

The Hunsrück marathon represents a special

sporting challenge involving running, walking

and skating on the different sections of the

Schinderhannes cycle track located between

Simmern and Emmelshausen.

Simmern top fit!

A long cherished dream became a reality

in 2006 – Simmersee [Simmer Lake] was

created, a scenic pond divided in two at the

gates of the town, with a surface area of around

12,000 square metres. Due to developments with

a focus on the ecological aspects, the Simmer

Stream, which runs diagonally across the town

was also enhanced with recreational activities in

particular in mind.

Pure nature... by the Simmersee (Simmer Lake)

Enjoy the outdoors and swimming fun at the

same time. The outdoor swimming pool in Sim-

mern, which covers a total area of 20,000 square

metres and 6,300 square metres of water, is

situated in a wonderful location surrounded

by spruce and broad-leaved trees.

The large swimming area with a diving platform,

water trampoline, island, catwalk, tree trunks

and an iceberg also includes a separate paddling

pool for little children and a non-swimmers area

with a water slide and toys. Rubber boats, flip-

pers, snorkels and other types of toys for water-

fun are really the order of the day here!

As additional attractions, the grounds around the

outdoor swimming pool include a children’s play-

ground and an area where beach volleyball can

be played. Numerous summertime events such

as beach parties, beach volleyball tournaments,

children’s parties with inflatable castles and many

other types of events are held there.

The outdoor swimming pool

16 17

www.naturfreibad-simmern.de

Swimming fun in the summer

www.hunsrueck-marathon.de

The leisure time pool

The leisure time pool in Simmern, with its

extensive facilities and the wellness sauna

landscape laid out across a wide area,

offers fun and games, enjoyable sports

and relaxation for every taste.

The large multi-purpose pool offers

various possibilities for sports and also

for relaxing activities. The heated out-

door pool offers a special experience

and not just in winter. In the summer,

the large sunbathing lawn provides a lot of

room for sunbathing, but also opportunities

for fun and games.

Diving boards up to three metres high are availa-

ble for exercises ranging from free falling to more

elaborate forms. With fountains, rocky hills,

torrential showers and a slide, the fun pool does

great credit to its name. The 46 metre-long slide,

part of which runs through the outer area, is one

of the main attractions at the leisure time pool.

The water games garden awaits the very young,

with its bubbling pool, spray wall, mini-slide,

waterfall and water pool.

Winters in the Hunsrück region can be enjoyed

in a very relaxed manner. A winter nature holiday

can take in one of the many agricultural holdings,

baking bread in the old baking house, outings in

covered wagons with the romance of the great

outdoors or winter hikes followed by sandwiches

and a drink in one of the many cosy restaurants

and cafés.

And if it snows, in the nearby Hoch and Soon-

wald hills you will find well-preserved slopes,

prepared cross-country courses through snowy

woods, toboggan runs which excite children’s

hearts and outdoor ice rinks with a fun factor.

Enjoy a couple of winter days in the Hunsrück re-

gion – with or without snow, fun and relaxation

are guaranteed here!

Romantic winters in the Hunsrück region

18 19

Sport and relaxation for everyone

Leisure days with or without snow

www.freizeitbad-simmern.de

Take some time out from your every-day life in the large wellness sauna landscape. Relax, feel good and spoil yourself! The steam sauna with its extremely high humidity stimulates the senses and cleanses the body. The whirlpool spoils its visitors with un-derwater massages. The classic Finnish sauna bath strengthens the immune sys-tem and cleanses the body. The solarium and the different wellness facilities and massages on offer, such as the hamam, round off the offer. Enjoy the wellness sauna landscape with all of your senses!

The wellness landscape

Simmern Tourist Information OfficeNeues Schloss [New Castle] · Schlossplatz · D-55469 SimmernTel. +49 (0 ) 67 61 / 837 296 · Fax. +49 (0 ) 67 61 / 837 299www.simmern.de · Tourist-info@vgvsim.de

Hunsrück-MuseumNeues Schloss [New Castle] · Schlossplatz · D-55469 SimmernTel. +49 (0 ) 67 61 / 70 09 · Fax. +49 (0 ) 67 61 / 90 80 44www.hunsrueck-museum.de · info@hunsrueck-museum.de

The leisure time pool in SimmernSchulstraße 16 · D-55469 SimmernTel. +49 (0 ) 67 61 / 97 06 78 · Fax. +49 (0 ) 67 61 / 97 06 79www.freizeitbad-simmern.de

The outdoor swimming pool in SimmernAm Hindenburgpark · D-55469 SimmernTel. +49 (0 ) 67 61 / 90 80 69 · Fax. +49 (0 ) 67 61 / 96 55 36www.naturfreibad-simmern.de

Hunsrück-Touristik GmbHHunsrückhaus · D-54411 DeuselbachTel. +49 (0 ) 65 04 / 95 04 60 · Fax. +49 (0 ) 65 04 / 95 04 31www.hunsruecktouristik.de

www.naturpark-soonwald-nahe.de

www.radwanderland.de

www.hahn-airport.de

Oberwesel

Koblenz

Rhein

Bonn

Köln

Mosel

Nahe

Simmern

Loreley

Bad Kreuznach

Bacharach

Rüdesheim

Frankfurt

Wiesbaden

Bingen

Idar-Oberstein

Kirchberg

Ludwigshafen

Hunsrück

höhenstraße

B 327

Trie

r

Flughafen Frankfurt-Hahn

B 50

Rheinböllen

Emmels-hausen

Kastellaun

Boppard

Mainz

Zell

Bernkastel-Kues

Cochem

Treis-KardenA 48

A 61 A 60

In the past the way to the centre of the

Hunsrück led you through forests where

robbers lurked...

This is how you reach Simmern today:

By plane: Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (20 km),

hourly bus shuttle. Frankfurt Airport (100 km).

Cologne/Bonn Airport (150 km)

By car: A61 motorway (Rheinböllen exit, B50 in

the direction of Simmern)

By bus: Via the Regio-Linien [regional lines], e.g.

from the main station in Koblenz to Simmern

(line 3200)

By train: Cologne-Koblenz-Frankfurt connection

with links to buses.

Simmern, situated in the heart of the Huns-

rück region, is in a central location between the

Rhine, the Moselle and the Nahe rivers. At

present, the town of Simmern has a total of

more than 90 hectares of attractive commercial

and industrial space at its disposal. The four-lane

B 50 provides a good link to the A 61 motorway

and thus to the Rhine-Main region as well as to

other important economic regions and the nearby

Frankfurt-Hahn Airport.

The association of local authorities in Simmern is

made up of 31 local authorities and the town of

Simmern itself. Around 19,000 people live in an

area covering 165.48 km2, 57.89 km2 of which

is forest.

Simmern - in the centre of the Hunsrück region, reachable by aeroplane,car or train

The Simmern region

The most important adresses in and around Simmern:

Impressum:Herausgeber: Verbandsgemeinde Simmern · Brühlstr. 2 · D-55469 Simmern/HunsrückTel. +49 (0 ) 67 61/ 837 - 0 · e-Mail: info@vgvsim.de · www.simmern.de

Konzeption & Texte: Ulli Piel, P!EL media (u.piel@piel-media.de)Konzeption & Gestaltung: Sirka Luschert (mail@sirka-luschert.de)Fotos: Herbert Piel, Werner Dupuis, Archiv der Verbandsgemeinde SimmernDruck: Prinz-Druck, Idar-Oberstein, www.druckerei-prinz.de

Erscheinungsjahr: 2008