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Germany
Thuringia
Hildburghausen
Masserberg

Historic Boundary Stones on the Rennsteig

Discover
Places to see
Germany
Thuringia
Hildburghausen
Masserberg

Historic Boundary Stones on the Rennsteig

Highlight • Monument

Historic Boundary Stones on the Rennsteig

Recommended by 90 hikers out of 97

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Naturpark Thüringer Wald

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    Location: Masserberg, Hildburghausen, Thuringia, Germany

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    Best Hikes to Historic Boundary Stones on the Rennsteig

    4.7

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    1. Nadelöhr rock formation – Langertfelsen loop from Masserberg

    7.83km

    02:16

    160m

    160m

    Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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    Moderate

    4.6

    (36)

    95

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    2. Nadelöhr rock formation – Langertfelsen loop from Schnett

    15.8km

    04:38

    320m

    320m

    Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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    Moderate

    4.4

    (14)

    55

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    3. Langertfelsen – Nadelöhr rock formation loop from Masserberg

    24.6km

    07:31

    680m

    680m

    Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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    Hard

    Tips

    April 19, 2024

    Why so many boundary stones? As a path on the ridge of the mountains, the Rennsteig (which was already a border of dialects and customs for long stretches) was a practical way of dividing sovereign territories, and so the name "Rynnstig" is first found in medieval documents as a border designation. Mind you: Rennsteig means "fast connecting route", so it was a transport link before it became known as a border line. Originally, nobody bothered to mark out borders to the exact meter. In the Middle Ages, when the mountains were still sparsely populated and played little economic role, conspicuous trees were at most given certain notches at large intervals, and that was enough.

    Source: rennsteigregion-im-frankenwald.de/unsere-region/der-rennsteig

    Translated by Google •

      April 19, 2024

      Later, however, there were border disputes over mining rights, hunting rights, wood and grazing rights, and the borders had to be set in stone - how quickly a border tree like that could disappear. In the meantime, medieval landowners had become regional princes who strictly administered their territories and wanted to demonstrate their power to the outside world.

      Borders were "petrified", i.e., in the presence of representatives of the neighboring princes, they were equipped with consecutively numbered, carved border stones. When the princes felt like it and had money in the coffers, they had their coats of arms engraved, usually quite simply, sometimes quite elaborately, and the most elaborate here, on the Schönwappenweg.

      Source: rennsteigregion-im-frankenwald.de/unsere-region/der-rennsteig

      Translated by Google •

        May 7, 2024

        No matter which direction you follow the Rennsteig, you will come across a number of old boundary stones along the way before and after Masserberg. Two old symbols of power, in some places even called "Dreiherrensteine" (three lords' stones), bear witness to the much-described small-state system of ruling dukes and princes in the history of Thuringia. This brought a lot of discord to the country at the time. Today it gives us an unusually high number of large palaces and castles in a comparatively small area that invite you to explore.

        Translated by Google •

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          Elevation 870 m

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          Saturday 13 December

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          Max wind speed: 14.0 km/h

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          Location: Masserberg, Hildburghausen, Thuringia, Germany

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