Neighborhood

Discover the surroundings of our holiday resort of Oberhof. Let yourself be impressed by the interesting sights, informative museums and the idyllic nature.

The Thuringian Forest

Pure nature in the Thuringian Forest

The fascinating Thuringian Forest can best explore on the famous Rennsteig Trail, about which we have compiled for you on our bottom "hiking" and on the main page "Oberhof " a wealth of information

Vessertal valley -Thuringer Forest Biosphere Reserve

Between the cities Suhl, Ilmenau and Schleusingen is located the Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Covering an area of 17,000 hectares, the nature protected reserve is composed from forests, highland moors and mountain meadows. Divided into three zones (core zone, developing and caring zone; buffer zone and transition zone; zone of harmonious cultural landscape), here you can discover and admire up to 1245 different plant species.

Castles and Palaces in the Thuringian Forest

The Wartburg near Eisenach

Wartburg Castle in Eisenach

The Wartburg can be rightly called to the most important castle in Germany and classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in the northwest corner of the Thuringian Forest it is perched high above the city of Eisenach. Feel the special aura and dignity of this place where Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German. Especially worth seeing is the three-storey palace, which was built in the 12th century and counts as best preserved late Romanesque secular building north of the Alps. In the magnificent ballroom on the second floor are always concerts.

Since the castle in the 19th century has been restored in the historical style, it also offers a lot of classic castle romanticism and has recently returned a working drawbridge.

The Meiningen museum in the Castle Elisabethenburg

Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen

Highly recommendable is a visit to the Elisabethenburg palace, which served as a residence of the Dukes of Saxe-Meiningen to 1918th. The name of the baroque palace comes from the wife of the first Duke of Saxe-Meiningen Bernhard I., who built the castle 1682-1692. Covering an area of 10,230 sqm, it is one of the largest palatial buildings in Thuringia. The castle houses today the Meininger Museum with the Max Reger archives, the city archives and the Thuringian State Archives, the Max Reger music school, a restaurant, the tower Cafe, and the ceremonial rooms of the Meinigen City Council and Registry Office.

The Friedenstein Castle

Friedenstein Castle in Gotha

Friedenstein Castle is an early baroque palace was built in 1643 -1654 by Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha at Gotha. The castle is considered the biggest palace building in Thuringia and today is home to many institutions in the field of culture and research, such as the Palace Museum with the Dukal Kunstkammer, the Ekhof Teather, the Historical Museum, the Museum of Nature, the Numismatic Collection with more than 130,000 objects, the Thuringian State Archive Gotha and the Gotha research center of the Erfurt University.

Join the Gothaer Baroque Festival, which takes place in and around the castle on the last weekend in August. More than 100 amateur actors let revive the time by the Duke Friedrich III.

The Wilhelmsburg Castle invites

Wilhelmsburg Castle in Schmalkalden

As the jewel of Renaissance castles applies the Wilhelmsburg Castle. In 1584 had edify the Landgrave of Hesse the castle instead of the fortress Waltaff and declared it to be his secondary residence. To date learned the Wilhelmsburg hardly any structural changes, it is still almost in its original condition.

Particular highlights include the Renaissance organ in the castle church, which receives its special timbre from 252 wooden pipes, 6 registers and the so-called bird cry, as well the museum with the permanent exhibition " Dawn of a New Era" and the special exhibition "The Life and Death in the Thirty Years' War".