Stilt House and Pond History
The listed stilt house on Hausteich Pond is considered a landmark and a key destination in Plothen. Since its restoration, it has served as a museum, exhibition space and nature park information centre. Its exhibits tell the story of pond and fish farming, as well as the diverse interests of the people who live and work in the pond district. The building itself is also part of what makes the house special: its design is unique in Thuringia. Plothen thus brings together cultural history, a nature park information service and a distinctive building in one place. Visitors interested in the pond district can therefore tailor a visit to the stilt house to focus on either cultural history or the nature park information centre.
Plan Your Visit to the Information Centre and Your Hike
The nature conservation and environmental information centre on Hausteich Pond near Plothen is open from May each year to visitors, hikers and nature lovers exploring the Plothen pond district. Admission and advice are free of charge. The seasonal opening period should be taken into account when choosing when to visit; check the latest details before your trip.
From the stilt house, the 3 to 8-kilometre 1000 Ponds Circular Trail between Dreba and Plothen is well worth exploring. This range is a specific planning consideration, distinct from the information centre’s seasonal opening: one concerns when to visit, the other the length of the route. Check the latest information on distance and route before setting off, as both may change. When planning your day, take into account your own walking pace and how long a hike you want to do.
More Places to Explore in the Wider Saale-Orla Destination
The reservoirs are another major landscape feature of the wider Saale-Orla destination. The Saale River, with the approximately 80-kilometre-long Saale Cascade, which has five dams, forms Europe’s largest contiguous reservoir area, known as the Thuringian Sea. Bleiloch Reservoir is Germany’s largest reservoir.
The wider Saale-Orla destination also offers other options for hiking: in Wurzbach, more than 120 kilometres of signposted trails invite you to explore the upland landscape. This is in addition to the individual 3 to 8-kilometre 1000 Ponds Circular Trail between Dreba and Plothen: here, you can compare a named circular route with a wider choice of trails.
In the wider Saale-Orla destination, the Mühlenfähre ferry on the Hohenwarte Reservoir connects the landing stages at Linkenmühle and Altenroth. It operates seasonally; check the timetable and crossing conditions before planning to use it. The planning considerations differ: for a hike, the key points are route length and course; for the ferry, they are the season and connection.
In the wider Saale-Orla destination, Burgk Castle Museum houses historic living and exhibition rooms with valuable interiors, as well as collections and exhibitions. Its ex libris collection comprises more than 200,000 prints and is the museum’s largest specialist collection. Concerts and festivals are also held there; check specific dates before adding them to your plans.
Discover more destinations: Oppurg, Triptis, Schleiz, Keila, Saalburg-Ebersdorf, Pößneck, Stanau, Remptendorf.
Back to the wider travel guide: Saale-Orla.
