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Darmstadt District

Former Geographical Center of the European Union (Meerholz)

Darmstadt District

Former Geographical Center of the European Union (Meerholz)

Highlight • Monument

Former Geographical Center of the European Union (Meerholz)

Recommended by 209 hikers out of 218

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Naturpark Hessischer Spessart

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Location: Gelnhausen, Main-Kinzig-Kreis, Darmstadt District, Hesse, Germany

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Best Hikes to Former Geographical Center of the European Union (Meerholz)

4.8

(64)

225

hikers

1. Hiking loop from Meerholz

5.80km

01:37

110m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.9

(13)

hikers

2. Hiking loop from Hailer

6.95km

01:55

120m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.7

(3)

hikers

3. Waldfriedhof Hailer – Hailer Forest Cemetery Parking Lot loop from Meerholz

4.60km

01:17

90m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

Tips

MJ 🐾

June 22, 2022

A red sandstone sculpture weighing three tons marks the former geographical center of the European Union. Seven artists from the region designed the object together. The heart of the sculpture on a cornfield on the edge of Meerholz is a hollow body made of red sandstone. Sand and earth from the 27 member states of the EU were gradually filled in there. The Hessian Europe Minister Volker Hoff (CDU) brought earth from the member state of Hungary to the opening ceremony, which lasted around an hour and was attended by 300 guests. A brass lid with an engraved dove of peace closes the sculpture. 26 lines carved into the stone show visitors in which cardinal points the other EU countries are located. The country codes of the EU member states can be read on a metal ring attached to the side of the stone.
Source: Wikipedia

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Michael Schenk

May 4, 2016

Interesting that this was once the geographic center of the European Union. However, the fact that new countries were constantly being admitted to the EU caused the point to shift again. If you connect these points with each other, the result is the so-called midpoint path.

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Helmut Fischer

May 24, 2021

meanwhile the place is neglected, because the center over the western ground has moved more into the Franconian. Still a nice tour, the EU center point way.

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spessartnic 🥾

August 3, 2021

After Meerholz, the center was in Westergrund in the Aschaffenburg district for six and a half years and then from February 1, 2020 to Weiler Gadheim, a district of Veitshöchheim.

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Frank Rmr

April 13, 2021

In 2007, the EU center moved from the Rhineland here to Gelnhausen-Meerholz due to the EU's eastward expansion. In 2013, when Croatia joined the EU, it slipped further to Lower Franconia.

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Seitan Dude

October 31, 2021

The visit can be easily combined with the ascent of the Spessart trail "Niedermittlauer Berkopp-Runde".

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Manfred 🔎

February 15, 2022

From 2007 to 2013 Meerholz was the geographic center of the European Union. The artistically designed small square also serves as the location for an annual public festival. The artistic implementation of the "EU center" in a mill wheel-like form is particularly impressive. Grooves are milled all around, pointing in the direction of the EU member states, i.e. Ireland to the west and Malta to the south.

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Robert von der Haune

March 2, 2022

There is something about heading for such goals.

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Rombea

October 27, 2019

From January 1st, 2007 and the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, the geographic center of the European Union until July 1st, 2013 was in Gelnhausen - more precisely in the Gelnhausen district of Meerholz. The measuring point is exactly at the coordinates: 9 degrees, 9 minutes east longitude and 50 degrees, 10 minutes, 21 seconds north latitude - below the "Niedermittlauer Heiligenkopf", which is one of the three witness mountains in the Kinzig valley.
gudrun-kauck.de/GelnhausenMittelpunkt.htm

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Ralf

October 14, 2022

former center of the EU but still worth a visit

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Siegfried Kühn

January 15, 2024

There is always movement at the center of the EU.

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Grifo753

May 24, 2022

A former geographical midpoint of the European Union in the period 2007-2013.

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Seitan Dude

September 26, 2022

Since Croatia joined the EU on July 1, 2013, the geographic center of the EU has been in the district of Aschaffenburg, in the district of Oberwestern in the Bavarian municipality of Westerngrund. With the accession of the French overseas department of Mayotte, a group of islands north-west of Madagascar, it has shifted again by 500 m. Since the United Kingdom left the EU on January 31, 2020, the geographic center of the EU has been in the district of Würzburg, in the district of Gadheim in the Bavarian municipality of Veitshöchheim (Wikipedia).

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June 18, 2024

Q-Fell (artist) Speaking of Europe: since discovering that the geographical center of the EU is in Meerholz, Wilfer, who has been working under the pseudonym Q. Fell since 1994, has been dealing with the topic publicly and creatively. First, in 2007, he created the sculpture at the center of the EU, then the corresponding column in the Main-Kinzig-Forum, followed in 2009 by the installation "Guestbook at the center of the EU". He also developed the picture series "EU Square Meters" and in 2009 the "Marginal Notes from the Center".

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Hans Baltruschat

July 22, 2025

Constantly new impressions. Never a boring hike.

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Elevation 240 m

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Thursday 13 November

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Max wind speed: 11.0 km/h

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Location: Gelnhausen, Main-Kinzig-Kreis, Darmstadt District, Hesse, Germany

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Former Geographical Center of the European Union (Meerholz)

1. Hiking loop from Meerholz

2. Hiking loop from Hailer

3. Waldfriedhof Hailer – Hailer Forest Cemetery Parking Lot loop from Meerholz

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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