Gräfenhain: Discover the Church, Circular Trail and Nature

Gräfenhain offers concrete points of interest for a trip that combines church art and nature: the Church of the Holy Trinity features magnificent ceiling paintings, and the Gräfenhainer Runde leads across meadows and fields to a wetland biotope. Nearby, Falkenstein offers a distinct attraction for mountaineers. These different interests can be enjoyed side by side without having to combine them into a single excursion itinerary.

The Church of the Holy Trinity in Gräfenhain

The Church of the Holy Trinity in Gräfenhain is considered one of the most beautiful village churches in Thuringia and features magnificent ceiling paintings. Travellers interested in church art will find a specific cultural point of interest here. The church complements the area’s nature experiences with a subject of its own and may be a reason to include architecture in your travel plans.

Exploring the Gräfenhainer Runde

The Gräfenhainer Runde circular hiking trail starts at the “Schöne Aussicht” hiking car park in Gräfenhain. From there, it first leads to the local sports ground and continues to the Carl-Halbig Tower. The route crosses meadows and fields and partly passes through the village before reaching a wetland biotope. The route description thus includes open countryside and a section through the village, as well as the natural destination.

The Carl-Halbig Tower offers panoramic views across the Inselsberg to the Gotha and Weimar regions. The wetland biotope along the route is a habitat for a wide variety of plant and animal species. The viewpoint and the habitat offer different focal points: the tower draws the eye across the wider landscape, while the biotope focuses attention on plants and animals.

Falkenstein nearby

Falkenstein, Thuringia’s highest freestanding climbing crag, is located near Gräfenhain. It is 96 metres high. Its high difficulty grades make it well suited to mountaineers. Alongside the circular trail, it offers a climbing destination with a different level of challenge; the crag is a destination in the surrounding area, not part of the village centre.

Ohrdruf: Bach, craftsmanship and trails

The wider travel destination of Ohrdruf offers its own cultural and historical themes. The permanent exhibition at Schloss Ehrenstein Museum focuses on Johann Sebastian Bach’s childhood and youth in Ohrdruf from 1695 to 1700. Bach spent five formative years there with his older brother Johann Christoph Bach. The Ohrdruf Bach Days and the Bach cycling experience route are linked to this connection.

The Ohrdruf Bach Days have been held every two years since their first edition in June 2010. The programme includes concerts, talks and music projects. If you would like to coordinate your trip with one of the editions, check the dates of the event you want to attend. Another historical trace leads to the Tobiashammer: it was built around 1480 as an iron, wire and sickle hammer mill. Kewpies are also associated with Ohrdruf; they were originally made there and began their international success as good-luck charms from the town.

The organ in St. Trinitatis Church in Ohrdruf, built by Georg Franz Ratzmann in 1814, is still played today. The tower of St. Michaelis Church was rebuilt in 1998/99 and is considered a highlight of Ohrdruf’s tourist attractions. The Michaelis Tower houses a small chapel and an exhibition about its history.

For hikers, the Walter Schütz Nature Park Trail starts at the Ohrdruf Nature Park Gate. The gate is a designated starting point for tours in the Thuringian Forest Nature Park; the trail is 12 kilometres long and covers around 284 metres of elevation gain. The Three-Cities Tour also passes through Ohrdruf, runs along cycle paths for some sections and uses part of the Bach cycling experience route. The two options therefore differ in both mode of travel and stated length.

Choose the right search location

Search for accommodation in Gräfenhain if you want to make the village the focus of your trip; include Ohrdruf as a separate search location if its attractions shape your plans. Check that your chosen accommodation’s location suits your specific travel plans.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Ohrdruf, Neudietendorf, Friedrichswerth, Crawinkel, Friemar, Apfelstädt, Georgenthal/Thüringer Wald, Bufleben

Back to the overview of the wider travel destination: Gotha.