ヴァクドルフの洞窟・トップ17

The Osterburg ruins are a fantastic hiking highlight.

Johanniter Castle in the village of Kühndorf

There is a beautiful Johanniter castle in Kühndorf.

Beautiful to look at, unfortunately we weren't allowed in and there was no information about when it would be possible.

First documented mention in 890.

For German Heritage Day, Bibra Castle opened its doors to visitors. There were guided tours of the grounds with interesting facts, followed by coffee and cake... what more could you want?! Perhaps an overnight stay in the castle? No problem, there's room for 17 people.

The Stone Church stands on the basalt summit of the Stone Mountain. It is believed to be a pre-Christian place of worship, which was built with a chapel during the Christianization. This was dedicated to Saint Ottilie and pilgrims came here to wash themselves with the water from the nearby spring. Only a wall remains of the church, but this is very impressive simply because there was a modern quarry underneath it. The mighty basalt wall on which the chapel stands was left standing, which gives the church an impressive size. A warning to anyone interested: the ascent and descent up the mountain are quite steep and narrow. The path from Henfstädt is very overgrown. After my own exploration, I would advise against a visit at the moment.

The Osterburg was first mentioned in 1268 as the property of the County of Henneberg in order to secure the Werra Valley. However, the castle quickly lost its importance, changed owners several times and was finally abandoned completely around the year 1500. A club is actually very lovingly looking after the preservation of the ruins. There is an impressive keep (which is unfortunately not open to the public) and the remains of the impressive defensive wall and a well. This means that you can still get a good feel for the former castle on site. It is great that the club also mows special paths in the grass to enable exploration from all sides! Thank you for that!