Densely packed half-timbered houses, a long knife-making tradition and trails through a striking landscape shape Steinbach. The town can be explored through a range of themes, from panoramic views across the Werra Valley and the Rhön to traces of the grinding trade. When planning your visit, it is worth considering the landscape, town centre and possible visits to workshops and the brewery separately.
Landscape and trails
Forests, woodland meadows and mountains shape the landscape to the north and west. To the south, Steinbach opens up to panoramic views across the Werra Valley and the Rhön. This shift in outlook gives the landscape its distinctive character: forests and mountains define one side of the town, while in the other direction the view extends across two named landscapes.
The Rennsteigleiter, Luther Trail and Messerweg pass through Steinbach. Remains of a grinding hut can still be found in the Schleifkotengrund; hikers can follow the Messerweg or the Luther-Rundweg there. The Rennsteig-Leiter descends to Steinbach. This offers different starting points for an outing: trails through the town as well as a destination where remains of the former grinding trade have been preserved. As trail conditions can vary, check the route before setting out.
Town centre and knife-making tradition
Numerous densely packed half-timbered houses stand in the town centre. Together with the Baroque church, the freestanding bell tower and one of Europe’s steepest mountain cemeteries, they form a protected ensemble. Anyone interested in townscapes and architectural history will find several closely grouped features of a protected ensemble here, rather than just a single building. The half-timbered houses shape the town centre, while the church, bell tower and mountain cemetery are also part of the ensemble.
Knife-making is also part of Steinbach’s identity: high-quality blades, including the famous “Luther Knife”, are still made at the Messerhaus Schleifkotengrund. If you are interested in the production process and are planning a visit, check the visitor arrangements in advance. The Stupps brewery regularly offers tours and tastings. Here too, it is a good idea to check the current arrangements before visiting. This gives visitors two distinct themes to explore alongside the landscape and architectural history: blade-making and brewing culture.
Bad Liebenstein: its own cultural and landscape attractions
Altenstein Palace and its 160-hectare landscape park belong to Bad Liebenstein. Hermann Fürst von Pückler-Muskau, Eduard Petzold and Peter Joseph Lenné all contributed to the design of the park. The ruins of Bad Liebenstein Castle are another distinctive landmark: they stand on a 460-metre-high hill above the town. These attractions in Bad Liebenstein offer a different focus from Steinbach’s town centre and knife-making tradition; your choice will depend on whether you are more interested in park design, castle ruins or Steinbach’s local themes.
The Comödienhaus and the Wandelhalle are also part of Bad Liebenstein’s architectural history. The Comödienhaus is one of Thuringia’s oldest theatre buildings and was built in the spring or summer of 1800 at the behest of Duke Georg I of Saxe-Meiningen. Since it opened, it has been a venue for theatre, with comedies, operettas, operas and other performances. The Wandelhalle in Bad Liebenstein was built in 1913 in the Neoclassical style.
The Historic Spa Park in Bad Liebenstein is another point of historical interest: it was laid out in 1799 and, together with the adjoining castle hill, covers almost 30 hectares. Taken together, the palace park, castle ruins, theatre building, Wandelhalle and spa park show the range of cultural and landscape attractions in Bad Liebenstein. Steinbach itself, by contrast, offers a distinctive combination of half-timbered houses, trails and knife-making.
Discover more destinations: Dermbach, Behringen, Andenhausen, Diedorf, Krayenberggemeinde, Dorndorf, Merkers-Kieselbach, Nazza.
For the broader travel overview: Wartburg.
