Zella offers two distinct ways to explore the village: its historic provost’s and church architecture, and its orchard meadow. The 300-metre-long Zella Orchard Meadow Nature Trail runs directly across the meadow and is therefore only very conditionally suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs. Bear this specific limitation in mind when choosing your destinations. Local points of interest include a historic Marian grotto, a Baroque hall and a Catholic Baroque church with distinctive architectural details.
Provost’s Garden and Orchard Meadow
The Provost’s Garden is home to the historic Marian grotto and the “Immerse yourself in the life of an orchard meadow” adventure playground; the monastery garden is also part of the site. There is also a biosphere information centre at the provost’s residence. Apples, pears, cherries and plums grow behind the provost’s residence. The adventure playground’s name explicitly evokes the orchard meadow theme. The nature trail explores this theme in more detail: it provides information about the 2,000-year history of fruit growing in the Rhön, typical varieties, the care needed to maintain the orchards and the health benefits of the fruit. For context, it is useful to distinguish between the two: the meadow is a specific fruit-growing area, while the nature trail complements it with information on history, varieties, care and the health benefits of the fruit.
Baroque Architecture in Zella
The Catholic Baroque Church of the Assumption of Mary was completed in 1732 and built from red sandstone to plans by Andrea Gallasini. Above the main portal is the coat of arms of its builder, von Dalberg, featuring six lilies and the Fulda cross. Zella Provost’s Residence was completed in 1718; these dates therefore refer to two separate buildings. The church’s architecture is defined by its building material and the coat of arms above the portal, while the provost’s residence, with its own history and interior, represents a different historical focus.
On the first floor of Zella Provost’s Residence is a Baroque hall, restored in 2016. The ceiling fresco depicts mythological figures of Bacchus and Ariadne at its centre. It was created by Johann Karl Emanuel Wohlhaupter (1683–1756), court painter in Fulda. The fresco takes the story beyond the building’s date to a specific interior detail; by contrast, the church’s building material and the coat of arms above its main portal take centre stage.
A Regional History Perspective on Dermbach
In the wider destination of Dermbach, the Museum of the Thuringian Rhön presents traditional crafts such as weaving and carving, along with historic tools, traditional costumes, furniture, agricultural equipment and works of craftsmanship. Its selected areas of focus include the cultural and social history of the Thuringian Rhön: the history of the Dermbach administrative district, the Peasants’ War in the Vorder Rhön and cork processing in Dermbach. The museum also covers small industrial businesses along the Feldabahn, built in 1880, which is also included among its topics as a narrow-gauge railway. The legend of Rhönpaulus and the 1866 clashes between Prussia and Bavaria in the Dermbach area are also covered. These subjects range from traditional crafts and everyday objects to regional industrial, transport and military history.
Discover more destinations: Andenhausen, Buttlar, Moorgrund, Urnshausen, Gerstungen, Kaltenlengsfeld, Berka/Werra, Vacha.
Go to the overview of the wider destination: Wartburg.
