Ilm District: High-altitude trails, culture and regional cuisine
Accommodation in Ilm District
In the Ilm District, striking ridges meet cycling and hiking trails, as well as cultural attractions covering a wide range of themes. The Rennsteig region in the Ilm District lies at elevations of over 900 metres; the Rennsteig shapes the landscape there.
Ridges and panoramic views
Lange Berg is a ridge in the northern Thuringian Forest: it is 808 metres high, seven kilometres long and about two kilometres wide. It also forms the watershed between the Ilm to the west and the Saale to the east. The Reinsberge offer a different perspective: their hiking area lies on a 600-metre-high shell limestone crag and offers views across the foothills of the Thuringian Forest.
A well-known viewpoint is the 861-metre-high Kickelhahn, the local mountain of the people of Ilmenau. On a clear day, the panoramic views extend across the Thuringian Forest to the Harz. The Rennsteig is also a helpful point of reference: it crosses the Ilm District from Oberhof towards Masserberg. This makes it easier to distinguish the high-altitude landscape from individual viewpoints and trails.
Cycling and hiking trails with their own character
The Ilm District offers two distinct route profiles for cycling trips. The 123-kilometre Ilmtal Cycle Route is certified with four stars; 45 kilometres of it run through the Ilm District. The Ilm-Rennsteig Cycle Route follows a former railway line from Ilmenau to Großbreitenbach or to Neustadt am Rennsteig. It links the Ilmtal Cycle Route with the Rennsteig Cycle Route, is almost entirely paved and is signposted as a bicycle street. Length and surface conditions therefore provide different points of reference for your planning.
The hiking trails also differ in their themes and routes. The Goethewanderweg connects landscapes of the Thuringian Forest with places where Goethe worked in Ilmenau and the surrounding area, as far as Stützerbach. The 21-kilometre Pilzsteig leads from Gehren over Lange Berg to the European Mushroom Park in Gillersdorf, then continues through the Reicheltal valley to Neustadt am Rennsteig. Those interested in public art will find a two-kilometre art trail in Kleinbreitenbach: artworks adorn the Romanesque fortified church, the cemetery, the church forecourt, the village and the path at the edge of the village.
The approximately 6.5-kilometre climate trail in Geraberg focuses on a different subject. More than 20 information panels explain natural phenomena related to weather and climate in a scientifically sound and accessible way. In Frauenwald, the four-kilometre Zwergenpfad is designed as a trail for children; the start and finish are at the Frauenwald tourist information office. Details about length and theme help you compare different trail ideas without reducing them to the same experience.
Cultural attractions and regional themes
In Arnstadt, the Baroque doll town “Mon plaisir” is located in the Neues Palais. The Thuringian Forest Creative Museum in Großbreitenbach includes the 1st German Dumpling Press Museum. Other attractions in the Ilm District include the Bunker Museum in Frauenwald, the Rennsteig Museum in Neustadt am Rennsteig, the Thermometer Museum in Geraberg and the Dwarf Museum in Gräfenroda. Their themes range from Baroque doll art and regional food culture to technology and local history.
In Gehren, the castle ruins and park now serve, among other things, as a cultural venue for the large Schlosspark Festival in August. The town and castle museum in Gehren tells the history of the princely house and the castle. Another leisure attraction is the “Volle Rose” show mine in Langewiesen. Specialties mentioned in the Ilm District include Thuringian dumplings, Thuringian Rostbrätel and Thuringian Rostbratwurst; they add a taste of the region to the cultural attractions.
Tailor your accommodation search to your trip
First decide whether cycling routes, hiking trails, viewpoints or specific cultural attractions will be the focus of your trip. Then base your accommodation search on the places that fit your plans. There are campsites in Frankenhain by the Lütsche reservoir, in Großbreitenbach by the outdoor swimming pool and in Manebach in the Ilm valley. Check availability before your trip. If you plan to take a steam train on the Rennsteigbahn into the Rennsteig region, it is helpful to check the timetable in advance.
For the wider travel overview: Thuringia.
