Ruhla combines watchmaking history and Bauhaus architecture with nature trails and an extensive range of winter sports. This mix is useful when choosing a destination: the town’s history, technology and nature experiences each offer a different focus. Depending on the time of year, different activities come to the fore; especially for winter plans, you should take snow conditions into account.

Watches, Technology and Bauhaus

The Watch and Clock Museum Ruhla offers insight into the history of Ruhla’s watch industry, from its beginnings in 1862 to the present day. It displays more than 1,300 watches, 35 machines and 50 information panels; the collection figures may change over time. A visit to the museum therefore traces the industry from its early beginnings to the present day, presenting watches alongside the machines and information about its history.

Next to the Ruhla Cultural Centre, the Clock Cube displays the former, 160-year-old clockwork mechanism from the tower clock at St. Concordia. Three former watchmakers fully restored it in their spare time. The Clock Cube is free to visit and open around the clock. The restored mechanism thus offers a second, independent way to explore Ruhla’s watchmaking history.

The Bauhaus ensemble is also part of the town’s history. Built between 1926 and 1928 to plans by Bauhaus architect Thilo Schoder (1888–1979), it comprised social housing, a town café, a grocery store and a playground. The apartments generally had two rooms, a kitchen and a toilet. In the attic, each stairwell had a shared bathroom; a bathing schedule regulated its use. Today, the building is a listed monument. The layout and bathing schedule bring to life not only the architecture but also the organised use of the shared bathroom.

Discover Town History and Nature

The Ruhla Nature Park, Geopark and Tourist Information Centre is housed in a restored half-timbered building on the market square. Panels in its exhibition provide information about the town’s historical development, settlement, crafts and geology. There is also an experience cave, a model of a grinding mill and a rock puzzle.

GeoRoute 10, the nature trail at Breitenberg, is an approximately 2.4-kilometre circular route on 697-metre-high Breitenberg, Ruhla’s highest mountain. Information panels share facts about fauna, flora and habitats and invite visitors to make hands-on discoveries. Another circular hiking trail around Ruhla offers views of Ruhla, Thal and Kittelsthal. The two trails have different focuses: GeoRoute centres on nature, while the circular trail offers views of the three towns.

Ruhla on Foot, by Bike and in Winter

Above Ruhla lies the Alte Ruhl winter sports area, with five ski jumps of different sizes and a partially illuminated cross-country skiing training area. The Storchswiese cross-country skiing area is located close to Alte Ruhl, with trails measuring 2.3 and 5 kilometres. These two trail lengths offer different options for cross-country skiing there. Ruhla also has approximately 15 kilometres of ski touring trails and approximately 10 kilometres of cross-country ski trails for winter.

Snow conditions are important when planning winter activities: use of the facilities at Alte Ruhl depends on snow, and winter conditions vary. So check the current conditions before setting out. This also makes the distinction between the trails described as year-round and the seasonal winter sports options clear when planning your trip.

For a cycling route, the path from Ruhla via Thal, Farnroda and Wutha connects the Rennsteig Cycle Path with the Thuringian Cities Chain long-distance cycle route and other cycle routes. Unlike the circular hiking trails, this route passes through several towns and links Ruhla with named long-distance cycle routes. This gives you several types of excursions to choose from when planning: a circular nature trail, views of neighbouring towns, seasonal winter sports and a cycling link between long-distance routes.

Discover More Destinations

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