The 9.2-kilometre Poacher’s Trail circular hike begins and ends in the mountain meadow behind the Thuringian Museum Park Gehlberg. Glassmaking and postal history are the focus at the museum park; the trail explores the history of poaching in the Thuringian Forest. Further activities are available in winter. This means you can choose between cultural history, a specific circular hike and seasonal activities as different focal points when planning your visit.
Glass, Post and Park
The Thuringian Museum Park Gehlberg is a family-friendly regional museum with six museums or areas in two buildings. It is located in the former Gundelach glassworks and offers insights into traditional glassmaking. Opposite is the Postal Museum, which documents the history of the postal service. The two institutions therefore focus on different aspects of history: glassmaking at one and postal history at the other.
The Thuringian Museum Park also includes a park with a 350-year-old lime tree, a fountain and children’s playgrounds. In addition to its museum areas, the complex therefore includes an outdoor space with these three features. The regional museum’s family-friendly approach is also part of its profile.
The Poacher’s Trail: A Circular Hike with a Historical Theme
The Poacher’s Trail is a circular hiking route: it starts and ends in the mountain meadow behind the Thuringian Museum Park. It is 9.2 kilometres long and challenging in places. This distance refers to the circular route as a whole, not to a single section of the trail. When planning the hike, you can therefore take both the overall distance and the challenging sections into account.
The trail explores the history of poaching in the Thuringian Forest. Reconstructed traps, information boards and photographs at original locations are part of the trail’s presentation. The Poacher’s Trail thus combines a specific route with a historical theme, setting it apart from the museum park’s focus on glassmaking and postal history. It is a good idea to check the route information before setting out.
Winter Activities and Conditions
Behind the Glass Museum is a practice area for beginners to try cross-country skiing. Use of the area depends on winter conditions. It is a separate option for those new to cross-country skiing and should not be confused with the longer ski touring trails.
Gehlberg also has a ski lift with a toboggan run, 33 kilometres of groomed ski touring trails and 30 kilometres of winter hiking trails. These figures refer to different activities: tobogganing, ski touring and winter hiking. Before making specific plans, check the conditions and whether these seasonal activities are currently available.
Hiking and Winter Routes: Different Distance Measurements
The 9.2 kilometres of the Poacher’s Trail refer to a single circular hike. By contrast, the 33 kilometres of ski touring trails and 30 kilometres of winter hiking trails refer to two different types of route. The figures therefore answer different planning questions: the Poacher’s Trail distance describes a specific circular route, while the winter route figures give the lengths of the ski or walking trails. To choose, it is worth first considering the activity you want and then the conditions that apply.
Discover more destinations: Behringen, Ilmenau, Ichtershausen, Gräfenroda, Langewiesen, Geschwenda, Wipfratal, Bücheloh.
Go to the regional travel overview: Ilm District.
