The Klings Rhön circular trail gives a trip to Klings a clear focus: the route is 7.9 km long and starts at the community centre. It runs across a plateau above the premium hiking trail “DER HOCHRHÖNER”. When planning your visit, check the local signage for any changes.
Hiking and wood art in Klings
The Klings Rhön circular trail is part of the “Rhöner Holzkunstrouten” (Rhön wood art trails). Along the way, you’ll pass sculptures on the themes of nature and hiking, as well as steles featuring Rhön dialect. The route also features the sculpture “Wanderrast” by Kerstin Genschow, a master wood sculptor from Klings. This gives you several ways to get a sense of the route, from its length and starting point to its specific artworks and dialect features.
Village church and surroundings
Klings village church was rebuilt in 1879 in the neo-Romanesque style and consecrated again. The Witch Lime Tree in the surrounding area is another historical point of interest near the destination. It stands on the state border between Hesse and Thuringia, is about 800 years old and is known from many legends. The Witch Lime Tree is not in Klings itself, but about 4 km from the village.
Culture and hiking in the wider destination of Kaltennordheim
Kaltennordheim also has its own historical attractions. St Kilian’s Church in Kaltennordheim was built in the 14th century to replace a wooden church. St Nicholas’s Church was built in 1597 as the city’s second and larger church. Another landmark in the history of local architecture is the Amtshaus, or administrative building: it was built from 1752 to 1754 on the site of the former Merlinsburg in Kaltennordheim. The historical landmarks span different periods, from medieval church construction to building work in the 18th century.
The local history museum is now housed in the Merlinsburg building in Kaltennordheim. Its barn museum displays historic agricultural equipment and scenes from rural life, including baking, milk processing and food storage. The section of the local history museum relating to the castle is currently being renovated and cannot be visited. For more historical insights, the “On Old Paths” guided city tour visits St Kilian’s Church, passes through the historic old town and goes to the surviving city wall, among other places. Tours are available on request.
The “Heiratsmarkt” (marriage market) in Kaltennordheim takes place at Whitsun. It was first held in 1563 and is still held every year. In the 19th century, it developed into a folk festival in the Thuringian Rhön. Dates vary from year to year, so check the date for your trip.
Compare hiking trails in Kaltennordheim
The Kaltennordheim Rhön circular trail 1 is 11.0 km long, takes about four hours, is rated easy to moderate and starts, among other places, at Kaltennordheim Town Hall. The Kaltennordheim Rhön circular trail 2 also starts at the town hall and initially follows the Felda through the town. Part of it runs through the approximately 50-hectare Große Hardt nature reserve. For Route 1, you can use its length, approximate duration and difficulty level to assess it; for Route 2, the initial stretch through the town and section through the protected area provide useful points of orientation.
Discover more destinations: Geisa, Neidhartshausen, Bischofroda, Frankenroda, Fischbach, Merkers-Kieselbach, Diedorf, Wutha-Farnroda
Go to the overview of the wider destination: Wartburg.
