Discover the Kyffhäuser District: Caves, Hiking Trails and Culture

In the Kyffhäuser District, the range of things to do extends from an anhydrite cave and underground tours to hiking trails, museums and an archaeological open-air museum. To help plan your trip, start with a simple question: would you like your stay to focus on a longer circular hike, a single adventure trail, mining history or a cultural attraction?

Caves, mining history and trails

Barbarossa Cave is an anhydrite cave between the districts of Rottleben and Steinthaleben in the municipality of Kyffhäuserland. Five miners discovered it in 1865 in connection with the resumption of copper shale mining. It was named after the legend of Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa’s return. This makes the site a place where the cave’s geological features meet a piece of mining history and a well-known imperial legend.

If you want to make the Kyffhäuser Trail the focus of your trip, consider Bad Frankenhausen as your starting and finishing point: the circular trail is 37 kilometres long. Its three stages run from Bad Frankenhausen to Barbarossa Cave, from there to the Kyffhäuser Monument, and then back to Bad Frankenhausen. The trail has been certified as a “Quality Trail Wanderable Germany”, is well signposted and is regularly checked for defects. These details give you an idea of the trail’s layout; its three stages also show which destinations it connects.

The Forest Adventure Trail offers a different scale. It runs for four kilometres between the Rothenburg ruins and the Kyffhäuser Monument and features ten adventure stations. Compared with the 37-kilometre Kyffhäuser Trail, this is a considerably shorter route; it also leads between two named destinations. Which type of trail suits your day depends on whether the circular route or the stations along this trail appeal more.

Underground and in exhibitions

At the Sondershausen Adventure Mine, guided tours take place year-round at a depth of 670 metres. They include an approximately two-hour truck tour through the underground labyrinth. The world’s deepest concert hall is also underground: concerts and cabaret performances are held there regularly. The Adventure Mine therefore offers both guided explorations and events—two different reasons to visit the mine.

In Wiehe, the Wiehe Model Railway is a year-round exhibition with 12,000 square metres of exhibition space. Sondershausen also offers a historical exhibition: since 1923, the Castle Museum has been housed in the former residence of the Counts and Princes of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Its varied exhibition spans three floors. The model railway exhibition and the Castle Museum differ considerably in subject and presentation, allowing you to choose an excursion destination based on your interests.

Archaeology and hands-on activities

The Funkenburg Archaeological Open-Air Museum in Westgreußen features the only reconstruction of a Germanic settlement of its kind in Germany, on a prominent hill spur above the Helbe Valley. Its educational activity programmes include pottery, baking, wool processing, making fishing nets and archery. If you are interested in historical ways of life, you can explore the reconstructed settlement as well as take part in practical activities. The options available for a particular visit depend on which activities are offered.

Getting to the Kyffhäuser Monument

A monument shuttle is available for people with limited mobility, running between the car parks and the ticket area of the Kyffhäuser Monument: from April to October, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 17:00, and also on weekdays during Thuringian school holidays. As these times are important for planning, it is advisable to check the timetable before your visit.

The Kyffhäuser Rad-Shuttle on route 530 may also be useful when planning your trip. It runs through the region between Sondershausen and Artern and can carry bicycles on a bike rack. When choosing accommodation, you can first decide which destinations or routes matter most to your trip. Bad Frankenhausen is the starting and finishing point of the Kyffhäuser Trail; the mine, Castle Museum and Funkenburg offer different thematic highlights.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Bad Frankenhausen, Ebeleben, Sondershausen, Steinthaleben, Artern/Unstrut, Wiehe, Bendeleben, Kyffhäuserland, Westgreußen, Nausitz, Gorsleben, Heldrungen, Oldisleben, Oberheldrungen, Roßleben, Helbedündorf, Clingen, Greußen.

For the regional travel overview: Thuringia.