Since around 1900, visitors have come to Brotterode Health Resort for summer holidays or winter sports. Organized winter sports began in 1905 with the founding of an association to promote winter sports. The dates highlight different aspects: around 1900 describes how the town was used, while 1905 marks the specific beginning of organized association activities.
Ski Jump Views and Winter Sports History
The Schanzenblicke nature park trail is a moderately difficult route around Brotterode. Its views include the ski jump facilities, Brotterode, the Rhön and the Inselsberg. The route therefore offers perspectives ranging from a direct connection with winter sports to views of the town and other landscape features. The historical dates and the route complement each other: the year the association was founded places organized winter sports in time, while the ski jump facilities bring the same theme to life as a feature of the route.
Inselbergbad
Inselbergbad in Brotterode offers a different focus for planning your day. The indoor area has a 25-metre sports swimming pool, a round non-swimmer pool, a paddling pool area for toddlers and an 80-metre tube slide. The pool is also a meeting place for swimmers, sauna-goers, athletes and those seeking relaxation. Inselbergbad will be temporarily closed for renovation work from 27 July to 30 October 2026.
A House with Its Own Local History
The little house by the “old pond” is one of the few houses to have survived the greatest tragedy in its hometown unscathed. It is therefore a different historical reference point from the founding of the winter sports association: here, the focus is on a preserved house; there, on organized sport. Both aspects lend different contours to the town’s history.
Brotterode-Trusetal: Waterfall, Trails and Culture
In the Brotterode-Trusetal destination, the Trusetal Waterfall plunges 60 metres down a granite formation in three cascades. The cascades describe the shape of the waterfall, while the 60 metres indicate its drop. The waterfall is switched off in winter. Visitors can also climb a staircase with 228 steps beside it; this adds a clearly quantified ascent to the waterfall experience. The Rennsteig-Leiter Trusetal route leads from the waterfall via Fünf Gärten, Laudenbach and the mining educational trail to the Rennsteig. The approximately 17-kilometre Inselsberg cycling route begins at the bus station in Brotterode. The Rennsteig-Leiter route names its intermediate places and destination, while the cycling route specifies its approximate length and starting point.
The region’s cultural attractions also have distinct points of interest. The Wallenburger Tower on the outskirts of Trusetal is a monument to Romanesque architecture dating from the 13th century. The local history museum in Trusetal was established and is run by the Trusetal Mining and Local History Association. A hut on the nature park trail by Pfingstweide offers a place to rest. After a guided tour of the “Hühn” visitor mine, visitors can prospect for mineral stones at “Klonike am Hühn.”
Discover more destinations
Wallbach, Altersbach, Rosa, ObermaĂźfeld-Grimmenthal, Struth-Helmershof, Grabfeld, Oberhof, Brotterode-Trusetal
Back to the higher-level travel overview: Schmalkalden-Meiningen.
