Oepfershausen: Art Station, Cultural Monuments and Long-Distance Hiking Trail

Oepfershausen combines a clear focus on art with several cultural monuments and a long-distance hiking trail that passes through the village. The Oepfershausen Art Station is located in the village, right in the Rhön Biosphere Reserve. When planning a trip, this lets you consider culture and the natural environment as different aspects of the destination.

Experience art and get creative yourself

The art station has a printmaking workshop, a ceramics workshop, two light-filled painting rooms and a small library of art books. The various rooms and workshops support different artistic practices: printmaking, ceramics and painting are complemented by a place to read and explore art books. If you are planning a specific activity, check with the provider to confirm its availability.

One of the art station’s mobile projects is a converted caravan that serves as a camera obscura. Photography activities include taking pictures with pinhole cameras and making cyanotypes. Alongside the workshops, the program also extends into photography. The art station also holds an annual themed group exhibition, for which it issues an open call to artists of all ages. If you are planning to attend a particular exhibition or activity, it is advisable to ask the provider for current dates and details.

Cultural monuments in the village

Oepfershausen’s cultural and artistic monuments include the castle, the church rebuilt in 1718, and the half-timbered house at Wiesgarten 31. These three buildings give the village a historic character that complements the art station’s contemporary focus. If you are interested in culture, they offer different themes to consider when planning your trip: artistic work at the art station and listed buildings in the village.

Hiking: a long-distance route through Oepfershausen

The 96-kilometre HWO2 long-distance hiking trail connects Wasungen and Schlitz, passes through Oepfershausen and runs by the district of Wahns. The stated distance refers to the entire long-distance trail. If you are considering Oepfershausen as a destination, you can include the hiking trail as a separate focus alongside art and monuments.

You can tailor your search for accommodation to the kind of trip you want, rather than basing it on a single activity.

Wasungen: gardens, trails and traditions

Wasungen also offers its own nature and culture. The Wasungen Forest Botanical Garden covers about five hectares and is home to 162 genera of woody plants, with 1,700 different species and varieties. Expert guided tours are available for a fee by prior arrangement. Circular Hiking Trail 1 goes around the garden. The garden visit, expert tour and circular trail are therefore different ways to explore the area; be sure to plan for the advance booking and fee for the tour.

Other trails in Wasungen lead to specific destinations: Circular Hiking Trail 2 goes around the Rupperg to the Kleine Zehn Buchen, while Circular Hiking Route 3 goes around the Mordtal to the Oberwallbachsmühle. A section of the Heinrich Cotta Hiking Trail runs from the Forest Botanical Garden to Heinrich Cotta’s birthplace in Kleine Zillbach. These destinations help you distinguish the trails by their respective themes. The Werratal Cycle Route runs along the left bank of the Werra through Wasungen, offering an additional option for planning a trip by bike.

Wasungen’s cultural character also has several distinct facets. The historic town centre is protected as an ensemble conservation area. Wasungen Carnival reaches its climax with a historic parade held every year on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday. As the date depends on the carnival calendar, it is worth checking the event dates for the year in question. Wasungen thus brings together its historic townscape, a recurring festival tradition and the garden’s natural setting alongside Oepfershausen’s art and monuments, without suggesting that these are features of Oepfershausen itself.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Unterschönau, Hümpfershausen, Rhönblick, Friedelshausen, Wallbach, Schwarza, Floh-Seligenthal, Altersbach.

Go to the main travel overview: Schmalkalden-Meiningen.