Rotterode on the southern slope of Rotteroder Höhe

Rotterode offers clear guidance for anyone who likes to combine a stay with scenery and a specific hike: the village lies on the southern slope of the 600-metre-high Rotteroder Höhe, and the Rennsteig-Leiter Rotterode leads through the Mossbachtal to the Rennsteig. The village also has a history dating back to the time of Moosburg. Depending on your travel interests, nature and historical stories can therefore go hand in hand.

Hiking on the southern slope of Rotteroder Höhe

The “Rennsteig-Leiter Rotterode” hike leads through the Mossbachtal to the Rennsteig. The route links a named stretch of valley with the Rennsteig as its destination, giving the tour a clear framework for planning your day. If you are looking for a specific hike when choosing where to stay, you can use this clearly named trail as your guide.

In winter, the same route is also prepared as a ski touring trail. This gives the route a different seasonal way to enjoy the outdoors. If you are planning a winter trip for this purpose, check the current trail conditions before your visit. Hiking and winter use are different travel options along the same route.

A history passed down through generations

Rotterode is said to have been founded after the destruction of Moosburg in the early 14th century. For travellers interested in a place’s history as well as its scenery, this story offers a point of connection.

Culture in Steinbach-Hallenberg

The Metallhandwerksmuseum in the Steinbach-Hallenberg destination offers a unique glimpse into the working life of earlier times. Visitors can tour original workshops and see how people worked there. The museum has three historic workshops: a nail smithy, a corkscrew workshop and a file-making workshop. The different types of workshops showcase a range of traditional crafts.

The permanent exhibition “Ons Schdaaimicher,” which opened in January 2022, offers insights into the Steinbach-Hallenberg residents’ way of life, the development of their dialect and their club life. From April to October, blacksmithing demonstrations take place at the Metallhandwerksmuseum on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Check the dates before your trip if you would like to plan your visit around a demonstration.

Hallenburg also adds a historical note: it was built around 1212 on older foundations. A walk up to the castle offers views of the town and surrounding mountains. You may need to collect the key from the Tourist Information office to access the tower. The office is centrally located in the town centre, directly opposite the Metallhandwerksmuseum.

More outdoor experiences

In the wider Steinbach-Hallenberg region, the Unterlautenberg wildlife enclosure is located in the village district of Unterschönau. Red deer, fallow deer, mouflons and goats can be seen there, and a circular trail of about three kilometres runs alongside the enclosure. This approximate loop offers a different way to spend time outdoors than hiking from Rotterode through the Mossbachtal to the Rennsteig.

In the wider Steinbach-Hallenberg region, Knüllfeld is a hiking plateau. During the summer holidays, regular horse-drawn carriage rides there and back to the town centre are offered in collaboration with Fuhrbetrieb Falk Nattermann. The ride offers views down into the valley and of the surrounding mountains. Dates are published in the Steinbach-Hallenberg events calendar.

In the wider Steinbach-Hallenberg region, the Burgfest is celebrated every five years as a large town festival in honour of Hallenburg. In Steinbach-Hallenberg, free parking is available for longer stays on Bismarckstraße or on Hennebergstraße, behind the town church. This makes it possible to include culture, scenery and the relevant seasonal offerings as distinct priorities in your travel plans.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Brotterode spa resort, Wasungen, Zella-Mehlis, Hümpfershausen, Sülzfeld, Altersbach, Rhönblick, Oberschönau.

Back to the main travel overview: Schmalkalden-Meiningen.