Location & History
Where the Alte Färberei is today, the Merovingians washed their laundry in the Lahn in the early Middle Ages. The settlement of Runkel can be historically documented that far back. In the further course of the Middle Ages, the city wall was built at this point. When the city wall was demolished again in the 19th century, a dye works took its place in the section next to the bridge, long known in Runkel as the 'Alte Farb' (= old dye works). Work clothes were dyed there.
In the 1920s, this building was so dilapidated that it was demolished with permission from the district conservator and replaced by the present building in two phases. The Wagner family ran a shop for fabrics, haberdashery and other textiles there until the 1990s. After it was given up, there were changing uses, the building was only preserved to the extent necessary. That changed when the building was sold in 2016. After some preparation, it was renovated inside and out from 2018 to 2021 in close coordination with the monument protection.
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Outside historic,
Inside new
The Alte Färberei is part of the monument ensemble of Runkel's historic center.
Because the house itself is not an isolated monument, it was possible to largely restore the building and rebuild it as part of the renovation.
The style of the interior design and furnishings is reduced, bright and of high quality.
Arrival
Runkel is just under 15 minutes by car from the Limburg-Süd ICE train station. The drive from Frankfurt am Main takes about an hour.
If you are coming by car, please enter the following address in your navigation device:
Burgstrasse 42, Runkel
Anyone who enters the postal address of the Alte Färberei, Borngasse 1, into their navigation system has a good chance of ending up in the Runkel district of Dehrn, about 5 kilometers down the river from Runkel's core town. There is also a Borngasse in Dehrn.
Alternatively, you can travel by train to Runkel. The Runkel train station is a few minutes' walk from the old dye works on the other side of the Lahn.
