알슈타트‬에서 가장 멋진 ‪6‬개의 동굴

The Osterburg ruins are a fantastic hiking highlight.

The town of Schleusingen was granted town charter in 1412. From 1245 to 1583, Schleusingen was the seat of the Counts of Henneberg. The castle was strategically located at the junction of the Erfurt-Würzburg trade route. The early modern Bertoldsburg Castle is managed by the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation and houses the Natural History Museum. The last Henneberg count, Georg Ernst, founded the Gymnasium (grammar school) in 1577, making it one of the four oldest educational institutions in Germany.

First documented mention in 890.

For anyone interested in history, a visit to the ancestral castle of the Henneberg-Schleusinger line is a must. This exhibition is quite manageable, but is due to be expanded and remodeled in the near future - according to the friendly employee at the counter.

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!

The witch tower in the old city wall of Themar bears witness to the time of witch burnings.

The Osterburg was built in the 13th century. Walls, remains of towers and a moat up to 8 m deep that surrounds the core castle on all sides are still preserved. It's worth taking a walk around the castle ruins through the moat. On the back (northeast side) there is still an information board about the geotope in the steep wave limestone.