Großvargula combines local history with two different ways to explore its surroundings: On foot, you can hike in the surrounding hills, while cycle routes from Großvargula follow the Unstrut. The history of winegrowing also has several notable milestones here. If you’re looking for a holiday apartment in Großvargula, you can first decide what you’d like to focus on during your stay: Should local history take centre stage, or would you rather explore the landscape mainly on foot and by bike?

Art and the history of winegrowing in Großvargula

In 1883, a new altarpiece was installed in St. Jacobi Church, replacing an older painting from 1757. The painting by Professor Pfannschmidt of Berlin shows the risen Christ with the grieving Mary before the empty tomb. The scene thus places both resurrection and grief at its centre.

Alongside the individual altarpiece, a booklet presents all 45 gallery paintings in St. Jacobi Church; Vargula Castle offers a different historical perspective and is of importance to the history of the region as a whole. Church art and the castle thus provide distinct starting points for exploring the town’s cultural history.

Winegrowing is also part of the town’s history. In 1954, Karl Simon Schwarz continued the tradition of winegrowing in Großvargula. Stiftung Landleben, based in Kirchheilingen, operates the vineyard in Großvargula. The first vineyard festival was held in June 2012. Its varied programme informed the many visitors about winegrowing in Großvargula.

Hiking, cycle routes, and the landscape

The Unstruttal nature reserve between Nägelstedt and Großvargula features dry slopes and calcareous soils. The routes offer two different ways to plan your day: From Großvargula, you can hike in the surrounding hills, while cycle routes from here follow the Unstrut. When planning, you can therefore choose between a hike with the hills as your destination and a bike ride guided by the river.

Further afield: the wider Unstrut-Hainich destination

Within the wider Unstrut-Hainich destination, the Unstrut-Hainich district is part of the Wartburg Hainich World Heritage Region. Mühlhausen, with its eleven medieval churches and its surviving inner city wall ring with numerous defensive towers, is part of the wider region. A 2.2-kilometre section of the oldest, inner wall remains. This broadens the view from church art in Großvargula to medieval urban culture in the wider destination.

The treetop trail in the wider Unstrut-Hainich destination also offers a different perspective on the landscape: The trail runs 24 metres above the canopy of the Hainich, and from the treehouse you can see across Hainich National Park. Visitors who are not afraid of heights can climb the tree tower to a platform 40 metres up; from there, the view extends across the Hainich to the Thuringian Basin. The treetop trail starts 200 metres from the Thiemsburg National Park Centre.

The exhibition at the National Park Centre at Thiemsburg uses films, large-format display panels, interactive stations, and other interactive elements. Its media guide is fully accessible; tablets and headphones are available to borrow. Check the latest information about the National Park Centre and loan equipment before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Oppershausen, Herbsleben, Vogtei, Schlotheim, Flarchheim, Weberstedt, Heyerode, Obermehler

For the wider travel overview: Unstrut-Hainich.