Dilsberg Youth Hostel

The Dilsberg youth hostel is magnificently located within the medieval wall of the Dilsberg district, offering a splendid view over the Neckar Valley. Its wall tower serves as the town gate.

The hostel features 74 beds in 20 rooms, mostly two-bed, four-bed and six-bed rooms. All rooms have a washbasin. There are five rooms for supervisors. Two common rooms and a games room with table soccer, table tennis, guitar and games. Outdoor table tennis on the sunny porch.

Jugendherberge Dilsberg
Untere Straße 1
69151 Neckargemünd

Phone +49 6223 9723021
Mail
www

History of the Dilsberg Youth Hostel

Since 1921, the Dilsberg gate tower and its adjoining house (night watchman's house) serves as the "Wandervogel's Nest". The municipality of Dilsberg rents out the two buildings to the Heidelberger Wandervogelgruppe - a group called "hiking bird" - by Rudolf Müller. With the active support of Dilsberg secondary school teacher König, the young people are renovating their accomodation. The renovation costs are estimated - due to the inflation - on 15.8.1923 with 25,000,000 marks.

In the following years the building serves mostly as a wedding venue. A popular prank of the Wandervögel is the nocturnal ringing of the bell (this jewel from the year 1732 hangs in the gate tower) with which they tear the residents from their sleep. The sleeping place of the hikers consists (according to eyewitnesses) only of a boarded straw chute.

At that time youth hostels were supposed to offer their guests the following sleeping comfort: a sack stuffed with straw, a cushion, two sheets and a blanket (as Richard Schirrmann, founder of the youth hostel 1909, thinks). There should be a dorm for girls and boys. Children should be encouraged to "clean up" their deposit on departure.