The permanent exhibition at the German Castle Museum takes visitors on a tour through the entire Veste Heldburg. Visitors learn how castle construction changed from one period to the next, while also getting to know the Veste. This combination of building and exhibition offers a gateway to Hildburghausen District: its themes range from forests and river landscapes to museums, gardens and historic ways of life.
Forest Landscapes and the Rodach Floodplain
The district includes an extensive, contiguous forest area in the Thuringian Forest Nature Park. It is also shaped, among other things, by the Vessertal Biosphere Reserve and forms an important part of the Thuringian Forest recreation region. Forests and protected areas thus provide an important setting for nature experiences in the district.
In the Rodach floodplain’s pastoral landscape, Konik horses and Heck cattle contribute to the development of a natural landscape. The roof of the observation platform offers panoramic views across the meadows of the Rodach floodplain. Here, two perspectives on the same landscape come together: the animals as part of its development and the view from above across the meadows.
Castles, Gardens and Museums
Museums beyond Veste Heldburg also tell stories of different eras and subjects. The Hennebergisches Museum Kloster VeĂźra is a six-hectare open-air museum with four themed areas. The history of the monastery is presented alongside half-timbered architecture and the everyday history of the Henneberg region; agricultural technology and sustainability are also included. Its themes thus range from historic ways of life to issues relating to agriculture and sustainability.
In Hildburghausen, the surviving palace garden was laid out as a Baroque garden around 1700 and converted into a landscaped park around 1780. The sequence of these two garden styles marks a change during the 18th century. The Natural History Museum has a vaulted room containing a suit of armor and two-handed swords, as well as large-format secco murals depicting the story of Hercules from around 1600. The history of the family of counts and the castle also plays an important role there.
The Rodachtal Two-State Museum opened in November 2009. It takes visitors on a journey through the 20th century in a border region: the Rodachtal. The district thus brings together a range of historical perspectives—from castles and gardens to the history of a border region.
Hiking, Cycling and Winter Trails
The mill hiking trail in the municipality of Straufhain is about 7 km long. It passes through an area where nine grain and sawmills once operated; information boards at the former mill sites provide details about the facilities. The area’s former use is thus brought to life at the relevant sites along the trail.
The Werra Valley Cycle Route passes through the Werra floodplains in the district and is particularly popular for cycling downstream. The Werra Valley is also suitable for hiking and cycle touring; from Themar downstream, it is also possible to travel by water. Those interested in routes by the water can choose between different activities: cycling, hiking and—downstream from Themar—travel by water.
For winter sports enthusiasts, the municipality of Masserberg, including the districts of Heubach, Schnett and Fehrenbach, offers more than 70 km of cross-country ski trails and numerous ski touring routes. Trail length and grooming may change seasonally, so check conditions before setting out on a winter tour. In winter, the focus is therefore on a different range of routes than the hiking and cycling tours in the Werra Valley or along the mill hiking trail.
Discover more destinations: Fehrenbach, Gießübel, Goldlauter, Nahetal-Waldau, Masserberg, Sankt Kilian, Schleusingen, Schnett, Suhl, Themar, Schleusingerneundorf, Hildburghausen, Henfstädt, Erlau, Eisfeld, Langenbach, Schleusegrund, Ehrenberg, Lichtenau, Veilsdorf, Sachsenbrunn, Heubach, Straufhain, Biberschlag, Reurieth, Heldburger Unterland, Auengrund, Römhild, Bischofrod, Oberstadt, Ummerstadt.
For the broader travel overview: Thuringia.
