If you’re looking for a place to take a break that offers scenery, activity and living traditions, there are several ways to get to know Schnett. The village lies on the southern slope of the 780-metre-high Simmersberg, whose summit offers panoramic views across Thuringia and Franconia. There is also a nature trail, a toboggan run on the Simmersberg and an annual local tradition.
Scenery and outdoor activities in Schnett
The Simmersberg gives Schnett a distinctive landmark in the landscape: the summit offers panoramic views across Thuringia and Franconia. Schnett has a nature trail; the names “nature trail” and “keep-fit trail” refer to the same route. You can therefore think of it as one place to enjoy nature and exercise, not as two separate stops.
A 150-metre-long toboggan run on the Simmersberg invites you to go sledging. Whether it can be used depends on snow and operating conditions. If you’re planning a visit specifically for the toboggan run, check the current conditions before you go. The different options therefore sit side by side: the view from the summit, the trail with its two names, and a toboggan run whose conditions can vary.
Church paintings and living traditions
St. Oswald’s Church adds a cultural highlight. Visitors often admire its interior paintings, which are considered unique throughout the region. The Hullefraansnacht is another living local tradition: it takes place every year and includes the “wild run into the new year.” Young and old alike in the local community actively keep the tradition alive.
When planning a trip, the Hullefraansnacht differs from the landscape and trail: it is an event that takes place every year. If you want to travel to Schnett for the tradition, check the date for the year in question. For the toboggan run, by contrast, snow and operating conditions are what matter. These differences help you plan your trip around your interests and the right time to visit.
Nature and culture in the wider destination of Masserberg
In the wider destination of Masserberg, the landscape lies right on the Rennsteig and is surrounded by forest meadows and beech and spruce woods. Numerous well-signposted hiking trails and the Rennsteig offer opportunities to hike through the Thuringian Forest Nature Park. Along the ridge, you can hike comfortably in different directions with little change in elevation, or take a horse-drawn carriage ride. The barefoot trail created by the local tourism association runs over natural forest soil, sharp wood chips, wooden tree slices and soft moss. Masserberg thus offers a range of ways to experience the landscape.
The history of the Evangelical Mountain Church of Masserberg also has a clear timeline: the present-day church was consecrated on 9 October 1883, after the church that previously stood there was destroyed in a fire in 1880. Since the third Sunday of Advent in 1980, the “Masserberg Christ King” has been on display in the church. The Greiz sculptor Elly-Viola Nahmmacher carved the 3-metre-high and 2.65-metre-wide artwork from a linden tree trunk.
Another landmark in Masserberg is the Rennsteigwarte observation tower on the 842-metre-high Eselsberg. From there, you can enjoy panoramic views of the Thuringian Forest and its foothills. The tower was built in 1974 after two wooden predecessor towers were destroyed: one in 1951 by a storm, the other in 1974 by lightning. Together with the mountain church, the Rennsteigwarte shows how architectural history and landscape complement one another in the wider destination of Masserberg.
Discover more destinations: Veilsdorf, Heldburger Unterland, Lichtenau, Heubach, Ummerstadt, Straufhain, Eisfeld, Masserberg
Back to the wider travel overview: Hildburghausen-Suhl.
