Burgk: Castle History and Circular Trails

Burgk combines castle history with the landscape along the Upper Saale. Burgk Castle stands on the riverbank and is one of the few surviving late medieval castles in Thuringia. Alongside this historic focus, there are cultural attractions and circular hiking trails. The Saale Tower offers views of the Saale region and Burgk Castle. During your stay, you can therefore choose between the castle and its collections, a walking tour and the viewpoint.

Burgk Castle: Music and Collections

Burgk Castle is home to collections and exhibitions, as well as concerts and festivals. Concerts in the castle chapel still feature the Silbermann organ, consecrated in 1743, in its original Chorton tuning. This combination of historic consecration and an enduring musical tradition is a distinctive cultural highlight. The castle’s bookplate collection includes bookplates spanning five centuries, created by more than 5,000 artists from over 60 countries. Its breadth across time and around the world offers a different perspective from the castle’s history: alongside the building is a collection featuring artists from more than 60 countries. In Burgk, architecture, music and collections come together.

Circular Trails and Views

The Burgksteig – Wasserläufer is a circular hiking trail. The Kulturweg der Vögte is also a circular hiking trail; it is 4.21 kilometres long and runs around Burgk Castle. The Kulturweg therefore offers a specific distance and a clear connection to the castle, while the Burgksteig – Wasserläufer is another named circular walk to choose from. You can visit the Saale Tower at the beginning or end of the Kulturweg. The 43-metre-high tower offers views of the Saale region and Burgk Castle; 192 steps lead to the viewing platform. Check the latest trail information before setting out. This allows you to plan the view as either the start or the end of your walk.

Getting There and Finding Your Way

The visitor car park in Burgk is about 500 metres from the castle and is also the starting point for the Kulturweg der Vögte. This gives you a specific reference point for your arrival and the start of your walk. Check the parking rules before your trip.

Schleiz as an Additional Option

The wider destination of Schleiz has numerous circular hiking trails within the city area. These include family-friendly routes through landscapes of meadows and forests, with views of the Saale Cascade reservoirs. As a cultural highlight in Schleiz, the Alte Münze city information centre has a permanent exhibition about Johann Friedrich Böttger and the history of the Meissen porcelain manufactory. Check local conditions and any temporary closures on the Schleiz trails.

Choose a Travel Focus for Your Accommodation Search

Check the location and current availability of specific accommodation. This will help you tailor your search to the things that matter for your stay.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Burkersdorf, Remptendorf, Moßbach, Kospoda, Keila, Gefell, Triptis, Peuschen.

Back to the overview of the wider travel region: Saale-Orla.