Camping Gross-Eichen

Take a stroll through the medieval town of Grünberg (15 minutes’ drive), with its cobbled streets and squares lined with pastel-coloured half-timbered buildings. A former monastery houses the Museum Im Spital, with displays on the history of the town. To the east, the valley of the river Äschersbach is lined with hiking trails leading to scenic viewpoints. Another pretty half-timbered town, Marburg (50 minutes) is renowned for its centuries-old university and its elegant hilltop castle (known as Landgrafen Palace), parts of which date back to the 11th century. In the castle, the Museum of Art and Cultural History holds fascinating temporary exhibitions. You don’t need to speak German to appreciate the musical talent performing at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt am Main (an hour and a half). If classical music doesn’t float your boat, you might prefer to head to the city’s expansive botanical garden, with areas of meadows, beech forests and ponds; or to the riverside German Film Museum.