Stützerbach offers several clear starting points for a stay: Goethe’s repeated visits point to a specific house, glassmaking and X-ray technology add technical themes to the town’s history, and the AtemWeg offers a different focus. The town is also located in a zone of the Thuringian Forest UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. You can therefore plan your trip around whether you are most interested in local history, technology or the AtemWeg.
Goethe, the museum and local history
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe visited Stützerbach thirteen times from 1776 onwards and stayed at the Gundelach House, now the Goethehaus Stützerbach Museum. The connection with Goethe is therefore linked to a specific building. The museum’s ground floor houses an exhibition on the history of technical glass in Stützerbach. This allows you to explore Goethe’s stays and local glassmaking history together. If you are planning a museum visit, check the latest visitor information in advance.
Glassmaking and processing have had a significant impact on Stützerbach. Another technical connection is the first X-ray tube, which was developed and first tested in Stützerbach. Alongside glassmaking, this gives the town a distinct connection to the history of technology. The two themes offer different perspectives on the town’s technological past.
The AtemWeg and its landscape setting
The AtemWeg offers a different focus from the museum and local history. Its eleven stations present exercises to strengthen lung and heart function, as well as breathing techniques, breathing relaxation and breathing meditation. Strengthening, breathing techniques and relaxation together form the trail’s thematic range. If you would like to include it in your stay, check the latest information on using the trail before setting out.
Stützerbach lies in a zone of the Thuringian Forest UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This designation adds a landscape dimension to the historical and technological themes. It provides a distinct context for considering Stützerbach as a travel destination, without requiring any particular excursion programme.
More to explore in Ilmenau
The wider Ilmenau destination offers additional nature and culture themes. Ilmenau’s local mountain, the Kickelhahn, is 861 metres high; its 21-metre observation tower is one of the town’s landmarks. The Trailpark Lindenberg has three different trails for mountain biking. As facilities can change, it is advisable to check the latest local information before setting out.
The 20-kilometre Goethewanderweg connects places associated with Goethe, from Ilmenau to Stützerbach. This also lets you explore the Goethe connection as a route between the two towns. In Ilmenau, the Münzkeller is right next to the Alte Münze and offers insights into the 16th century. The Bergmannskapelle on Sturmheide lies in the heart of the former Ilmenau copper and silver mining district, below the spoil heap of the former “Gottes Gabe” mine. The chapel houses an exhibition on Ilmenau’s copper shale mining.
Numerous routes for skiing and winter hiking run from Ilmenau to the Rennsteig and from Auerhahn to the Kickelhahn. Snow and trail conditions vary; route availability is not guaranteed. The Ilmtal Cycle Route is also a cycling option in the wider Ilmenau destination.
Discover more destinations: Wipfratal, Großbreitenbach, Gräfenroda, Schmiedefeld Am Rennsteig, Geschwenda, Bücheloh, Wachsenburggemeinde, Kirchheim.
View the wider travel overview: Ilm-Kreis.
