Discover Sonneberg through its toy-making history, a historic city walk and trails in the district of Spechtsbrunn. For planning purposes, it is helpful to distinguish between the city itself, with its museums, historic sites and city park, and the wider Sonneberg destination, which includes additional places in the district.
Toy-Making History and City History
The German Toy Museum in Sonneberg traces the history of toys from their beginnings to the present day. One of the collection’s permanent exhibits is the “Thuringian Fair”: 67 lifelike figures depict a typical rural folk festival in the Thuringian-Franconian region in the 19th century. Three play areas complement the exhibition. The fair scene connects the theme of toys with a specific regional festival tradition.
The Historic Mile is a walking tour through the old town to the origins of former toy-making sites. Its 16 information panels cover the history of the toy industry and its buildings, as well as the lives and work of local residents. This gives it a different focus from the museum: the route brings industrial history together with the city’s buildings and history, while the museum traces the history of toys.
The 1.4-hectare city park was laid out in the 19th century as a private public park by a Sonneberg toy manufacturer. Its origins add a look at the city’s park history to the story of its industry.
Trails in Sonneberg
The city park is home to a roughly 250 m-long trail, developed in 2026, with seven stops on the theme “Little Animals, Big World.” It is designed for children and is almost barrier-free. Some sections have gravel paths with slight inclines, which are important to bear in mind when assessing accessibility.
The Rennsteig hiking trail passes through the northern outskirts of the city of Sonneberg in the district of Spechtsbrunn. Hikers, cyclists and skiers use signposted trails along the former inner German border. The Sonneberg circular hiking trail starts and ends at the tourist information office at Sonneberg Central Station.
Astronomy and Wildlife
The Astronomy Museum at Sonneberg Observatory features an exhibition on astronomy, including topics from the Solar System and meteorites. Another highlight is Sonneberg Zoo in the Neufang district: at an elevation of almost 650 m, it is set amid a coniferous forest and is home to more than 100 animals from 35 species. The numbers of animals and species may change.
The Wider Sonneberg Destination
Sonneberg district lies within the Thuringian Forest Nature Park and the Slate Land National Geopark. The German Toy Route also runs through the district. These regional connections provide the context for further cultural and landscape-related attractions in the wider Sonneberg destination.
In Lauscha, the Museum of Glass Art traces the history of glass Christmas tree decorations from 1860 to the present day, featuring baubles and a variety of shapes. The production of mouth-blown Lauscha Christmas tree decorations has been included in Germany’s nationwide Intangible Cultural Heritage register.
The Bleßberghöhle Geotrail starts at the Bleßberghöhle Geopark Information Centre at Schalkau railway station and runs for 17.6 kilometres to Seltendorf railway station. Information panels along the trail explain the history of the cave’s discovery, the geology of the Franconian Line fault zone and karst features such as sinkholes, karst springs and sinking streams.
The trail lengths offer a clear point of comparison for planning: the city park trail is about 250 m long, while the GeoTrail is a 17.6-kilometre hike. They also differ in subject matter: small animals at the city park stops, and geology and karst features along the GeoTrail.
Discover more destinations: Mengersgereuth-Hämmern, Goldisthal, Föritz, Scheibe-Alsbach, Effelder-Rauenstein, Steinheid, Neuhaus Am Rennweg, Judenbach.
Back to the wider travel overview: Sonneberg.
