Blankenstein: Rivers and Hiking Trails

Blankenstein brings together two rivers, a connection to a nature park and several distinctive hiking trails in one place. The district lies at the confluence of the Saale and Selbitz rivers and in the southern part of the “Thuringian Slate Mountains–Upper Saale” Nature Park. It is also home to the “Border Crosser Trail at the Start of the Rennsteig,” a circular hiking trail, and the “Rennsteig and Mee(h)r” Museum. The range of ways to explore therefore extends from the specific point where the rivers meet to trails that connect Blankenstein with named hiking routes. When planning your trip, it helps to distinguish between these local and wider-ranging perspectives.

Between the Saale, Selbitz and the Nature Park

The Saale and Selbitz rivers meet in Blankenstein. This clearly defines the town’s location, while its position in the southern part of the nature park provides a broader landscape context. Both details are part of the description of the same district, but they answer different questions: the confluence tells you where Blankenstein is, while the nature park places it within a wider landscape. So when comparing nature destinations, you can consider both its riverside location and its position within the nature park, rather than treating them as a single feature.

A local loop and trails leading to Blankenstein

Blankenstein can be explored on foot from several route perspectives. The “Border Crosser Trail at the Start of the Rennsteig,” also known as the “Hiking Trail Around Rosenthal,” is a loop of about 16 kilometres that starts and ends at the Selbitz footbridge. It was established in 1990 by the Blankenstein branch of the Frankenwald Association. Its length and shared start and finish give the route a clear framework: you can consider this individual loop hike without equating it with the other named trails.

The premium hiking trails Rennsteig, Kammweg, Frankenweg and Fränkischer Gebirgsweg also lead to Blankenstein. Each year, around 15,000 to 20,000 hikers and cyclists come to Blankenstein on these trails or start their runs and hikes here. This is a different perspective from that of the local loop: for the premium trails, Blankenstein is a destination or starting point for the routes mentioned; the loop described above, by contrast, starts and ends at the Selbitz footbridge. When comparing hiking options for your trip, this distinction helps with orientation without suggesting that the trails follow a shared route.

A cultural point of interest

Culture also has a specific connection to the town: the “Rennsteig and Mee(h)r” Museum in Blankenstein opened in 2018 in partnership between the Rosenthal Pulp and Paper Mill (ZPR) and the municipality of Rosenthal am Rennsteig. This joint opening adds a cultural aspect of local history to the riverside and hiking perspectives. Landscape, outdoor activity and culture thus offer different reasons to take a closer look at Blankenstein. If you are interested in the history behind the museum as well as the trails, it offers its own historical thread within the town.

Which accommodation suits your trip?

When looking for accommodation in Blankenstein, you can start by considering which of these perspectives will shape your trip. Are you most interested in the confluence and the nature park setting, or in the loop of about 16 kilometres? Perhaps the premium hiking trails or the museum are more likely to inspire you to choose Blankenstein. These are different ways of orienting yourself within the same destination: one starts with the landscape, another with the choice of trail or the cultural connection.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Stanau, Peuschen, Krölpa, Triptis, Pottiga, Dittersdorf, Tanna, Remptendorf.

For the broader travel overview: Saale-Orla.