Discover the Rhön: moors, trails and history

The UNESCO Rhön Biosphere Reserve extends across Bavaria, Hesse and Thuringia. Its landscape is known as the “Land of Open Distances”; at the same time, high moors, trails and places with a rich history shape this travel destination. If you are looking for a place to stay, you can start by considering which of these aspects should define your visit: hiking, nature, culture or a mix of all three.

Hiking: a long-distance route or a day hike

“DER HOCHRHÖNER” is a 173-kilometre hiking trail between Bad Kissingen and Bad Salzungen, certified as a premium trail by the German Hiking Institute. More than 30 additional circular routes complement it, offering options for day hikes. They vary in length and difficulty. This gives you a choice of different time commitments: a single circular hike or a longer trek over several stages. If you prefer to hike in a group, the Rhön Club’s annual programme includes guided walks throughout the Rhön’s entire network of hiking trails. Educational and nature trails can be found throughout the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

High moors and sweeping views

The Red Moor, a 314.7-hectare nature reserve, lies in the Hessian part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. A boardwalk leads from the NABU House to an observation tower in the moor. The Black Moor is one of the few largely natural high moors in the High Rhön and the largest of them. It is strictly protected as a core zone of the Biosphere Reserve.

“Noah’s Sail” offers a different perspective on the region: the 23-metre-high viewing platform stands on Mount Ellenbogen in the heart of the Biosphere Reserve and offers panoramic views of the Rhön. Check access arrangements before your trip. If you are interested in the sky and stars, you can explore the daytime and night sky at the Rhön Star Park’s sky-viewing sites and learn about light pollution. The astronomical observation site on Hohe Geba is at an altitude of around 740 metres above sea level. Four platforms are located there, at a site affected only slightly by the light pollution of urban areas.

Border history and special places

The Point Alpha memorial and remembrance site includes preserved or partly reconstructed GDR border installations and an information centre commemorating the border regime in the restricted zone. Near Geisa, numerous hiking routes follow the former border, known as the Green Belt. The Path of Hope also reflects this history: fourteen monumental sculptures stand along a 1.5-kilometre stretch of the former inner-German border.

A Celtic oppidum was built on the Milseburg around 2,500 years ago, and a ring wall still remains there today. Since 2011, 27 hectares of the Milseburg have been part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve’s core zone. The summit is home to a Baroque Calvary group and a pilgrimage chapel. The Milseburg can only be reached on foot. Those interested in religious sites will find a spiritual centre in Lower Franconia at Kreuzberg Monastery and its pilgrimage church. The Franciscan monastery attracts visitors throughout the year with its monastery-brewed beer.

Wasserkuppe and regional culture

Wasserkuppe is the highest point in Hesse and the Rhön and can be reached by car. It is a regional attraction for glider pilots, model aircraft enthusiasts, paragliders, hikers and winter sports enthusiasts. This breadth of interests sets it apart from a hike on a marked circular trail or a visit to a historic site.

In Tann, the Rhön Village Museum preserves regional traditions and architecture: three farmsteads showcase how the Rhön’s ancestors lived 200 to 250 years ago. The Natural History Museum presents typical landscapes and the Biosphere Reserve’s characteristic wildlife and plant life in 26 dioramas. The Stone Kingdom displays numerous mineral and fossil finds, most of them from the Rhön. The Old Forge contains a forge, as well as old tools and machines used for shoeing horses and other blacksmithing work.

Families can enjoy activities and hands-on experiences at the “Rhönwald” adventure park and “Arche-Rhön”. Check the latest opening hours and visitor information before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Nuremberg Land, Fichtel Mountains, Allgäu, Günzburg, Upper Palatinate Forest, Dachau, Passau, Hof.

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