In the footsteps of Rainer Maria Rilke

In Rabenau

I often think of the springs that are in the green meadows and I see Londorf and the dear old garden that confidently opens its same old-fashioned summer flowers under their protection and has summer everywhere. Summer that trembles as fragrance, summer that stands as a great, uncountable hour on the sundial, summer that is reflected in the shady dear, unforgettable fountain
— Rainer Maria Rilke

This is how Rainer Maria Rilke describes his sensations in the Londorf Castle Garden in Rabenau. The poet, who spent an entire summer in the region of the Giessener Lahntäler in 1905, came to Friedelhausen at the invitation of the Countess von Schwerin. From there, carriage rides were taken into the surrounding countryside. So also to Rabenau to the Appenborn estate with a stop in the Londorf castle garden. Rilke often expressed his longing for the summer in Rabenau in letters and poems, which still give an idea of how much he must have loved these places. The sundial in the castle garden at that time, as well as the fountain and the pavilion have found their way into his writings. For example, Rilke once copied the old blessing on the manor house of Hofgut Appenborn for his wife Clara.

Theme Trail

On the occasion of the Open Monument Day 2021, Burkhard Muth has designed a theme trail “On the tracks of Rainer Maria Rilke in the Rabenau”. So you can see for yourself the beauty of the region that so inspired the poet.

Start: Londorf Castle Garden, Rabenau (circular hiking trail)
Length: Approx. 14 kilometers (4.5 hours)

We cross the Gießener Straße and walk through the Wallstraße. After 400 m we turn right into Brodbachstraße, cross the railroad tracks, keep right at the next fork and follow the sign “Schutzhütte”. At the hiking portal of the Rabenauer Höhenweg we turn right into the forest. After a few hundred meters we come across a hollow path, which can be recognized by the stones on the left and right. So we turn right into the hollow way and follow the picturesque path until we reach a bench that offers a magnificent view of Londorf and invites us to linger. As we continue, we come across a fork in the path and continue straight ahead (slightly uphill). At the end of the gorge we reach a stony road and go right, leaving the quarry on the left and passing by its gate. After a few 100 meters we come to a T-junction and turn left, 50 m further on we turn right again towards Kesselbach. After about 200 meters, just before Kesselbach, we turn left and walk through open fields, crossing a small stream after some time. Then we go left uphill, at the next fork we keep right. At a T-junction we go left uphill and reach a hut where we turn right and walk along the forest. We follow this meadow path, which after a while goes down to the right. At some point we come across a wide forest path (marked as a private path) and turn left. Now we go very long only straight ahead, until this path makes a bend to the left. 50 m further on we turn right again, so that the old major direction is maintained. After half an hour we meet the country road from Kesselbach to Rüddingshausen and go about 200 m to the right. From the country road we turn left into the forest and follow this path through the forest unwaveringly until we come across the open field. Here we find a marking of the Rabenauer Höhenweg, which we continue to follow to the right. When you reach a road, turn left and after 100 m turn right again, with the Appenborn estate in sight. We walk through the estate, past a small fish pond and turn right at the next path and walk parallel to a small river to Odenhausen. Arrived in the village center, the bistro “Gleis 1” invites you to a stop. Afterwards we walk on the cycle path in the direction of Kesselbach and along the road back to Burggarten Londorf.