필립스탈 최고의 워킹 & 하이킹 경로

A tribute to the Ampelmännchen (traffic light man)!

The Vitus Fountain, dating from 1613, stands in the market square of Vacha in front of the red-timbered town hall. The statue depicts the city's patron saint, Saint Vitus, dressed as a Roman knight. His left hand hangs down, holding a shield that depicts his martyrdom.

The Old Mint building in Vacha, located on the market square, was built in 1455 and is a former mint. It produced the coins "Vächer Were," which featured a crude depiction of the abbots wearing mitres. The abbots held the right to mint coins.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. John in Vacha was built in 1172, rebuilt in the Gothic style in 1306, rebuilt after the town fire in 1467, and rebuilt again in 1821 after the Thirty Years' War.

A small but really nice old town.

The "Einheitsmann" art project was designed as part of the "25 Years of German Unity" celebrations by artist Ottmar Hörl, who was inspired by the Berlin Ampelmännchen (Berlin traffic light man) and reinterpreted the trademark pedestrian traffic lights from East Berlin. The "Einheitsmann" erected here was donated to the town of Vacha and the market town of Philippsthal by the Hessian State Chancellery. It serves as a symbol of German reunification. Other locations for the Einheitsmann include Frankfurt, Kassel, and Berlin, as well as the Merkers Adventure Mine. The Einheitsmann was manufactured by Christian Hofmann GmbH & Co. KG of Bad Rodach. It is made of glass-fiber-reinforced polyester.

The memorial commemorates the fallen of the First World War and stands in front of the tower of St. John's Church. It was dedicated in 1929. It was donated by Vacha residents. The lists of donors' names were buried in the memorial's stone base as a testament to the residents' willingness to make sacrifices, unity, and gratitude. However, the names of the donors could no longer be determined. It survived the Third Reich and the GDR era.

This is where the ecumenical pilgrimage route begins (or ends). The route follows the historic route of the Via Regia. This ancient trade route was first documented in 1252, and its origins date back to the early High Middle Ages. Thus, you're walking along ancient paths, for not only kings, warriors, and traders, but also pilgrims, passed along it. It begins in Germany's easternmost city, Görlitz. The approximately 470-km-long route, which has served as an important link from the east since its opening in 2003, leads through Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia to Vacha. The route is largely accessible to cyclists.