Marienkapelle

The Kapellenberg near Hofheim am Taunus carries layers of settlement from the Neolithic period to the 19th century. A broad ring-wall from the Michelsberger culture still traces the ridge, while corded-ware graves and the footings of a Roman watch-tower mark later phases. At the southern edge a 17th-century chapel gives the hill its name, though the present stone church dates from the 1770s and was rebuilt after damage in the 1790s. Archaeologists have uncovered traces of a large village that housed about 900 people between 3750 and 3650 BC. The ring-wall once enclosed 46 hectares and reached heights of up to four metres in its northern sector. Within the defences lie two corded-ware burial mounds and a small circular earthwork, possibly a ritual site similar to henge monuments. A 3.5-kilometre historical trail links these points across the plateau. Visitors walk a wooded path that climbs to the chapel and the Meisterturm viewpoint. The ring-wall’s northern stretch shows its full height and a broad outer ditch. Along the east slope the remains of Neolithic houses are still visible, while the western side once held livestock pens. From the plateau there are long views over the Taunus and towards the Roman forts at Hofheim.