Discover Südeichsfeld: Beech Forests, Crafts and History

Hiking the TOP Hiking Trail Heyerode

The circular trail leads through beech forests, wooded valleys and open meadows, offering numerous viewpoints. The dense beech forest is part of the “Hainich” Fauna-Flora Habitat. Along the route is the old Heyerode border house, a historic customs house dating from the 15th century; from there, the trail continues into the beech forest. Viewpoints include “Inselbergblick” and “Wartburgblick”. From there, you can see as far as Wartburg Castle and the Thuringian Forest. The route brings together landscapes, a historic building and far-reaching views, without limiting the experience to just one of these.

Crafts and local history

At the Heyerode local heritage room, domestic workspaces have been recreated with original historic tools. Its showpiece is a still-functioning loom. Home weaving, cigar making and pattern carving illustrate crafts that were once typical of the Obereichsfeld region. The recreated workspaces bring the work of the past to life; visits to the local heritage room are possible by arrangement.

The Katharinenberg church ruin offers another glimpse into local history. Its tower, which has no spire, shapes the townscape. While the local heritage room focuses on crafts and domestic work, the ruin is a distinctive feature of the town’s appearance.

A seasonal look at winter

In winter, groomed cross-country ski trails of varying lengths and difficulty levels are available around the “Alter Bahnhof” country inn in Heyerode. Snow conditions and trail grooming affect the conditions. If you would like to include the trails in your plans, check the current snow conditions in advance.

More destinations in the wider Unstrut-Hainich region

The Unstrut-Hainich district is part of the Wartburg Hainich World Heritage region. The wider Unstrut-Hainich destination offers other nature and cultural experiences, with a different focus from the trails and local history of Südeichsfeld.

Walk 24 metres above the ground along the treetop walkway, across the canopy of the Hainich; from the treehouse, you can look out over Hainich National Park. Visitors who are comfortable with heights can climb the walkway’s tree tower to a platform 40 metres above the ground. From there, the view extends across the Hainich to the Thuringian Basin. The heights refer to different perspectives: the walkway above the treetops and the elevated viewing point.

The treetop walkway starts 200 metres from the Thiemsburg National Park Centre. There is a large hiking car park, a restaurant, toilets and a local public transport bus stop at the centre. As facilities and services may change, it is advisable to check current information about the facilities and bus connection before your trip. The National Park Centre’s exhibition features films, large-format picture walls, interactive experience stations and other interactive elements. It is complemented by a fully accessible media guide; tablets and headphones are available to borrow.

The region’s history and gardens offer other highlights, too. Mühlhausen has eleven medieval churches, and 2.2 kilometres of its inner, oldest city wall remain. The 34.2-metre-high Rabenturm offers panoramic views over Mühlhausen and the surrounding area. Bad Langensalza’s rose garden showcases almost 450 rose species and varieties on the site of a former factory covering 18,000 square metres. The small museum at the Opfermoor Vogtei displays original finds from archaeological excavations of the settlement and cult site.

Choose accommodation to suit your travel plans

When looking for accommodation, a good starting point is the mix of activities you have in mind: will your trip focus mainly on the TOP Hiking Trail, the local heritage room and local history in Südeichsfeld, or would you also like to visit the national park, Mühlhausen or Bad Langensalza?

Discover more places

As another destination in Südeichsfeld, you can discover Diedorf.

Discover more destinations: Heyerode, Großvargula, Dachrieden, Mühlhausen/Thüringen, Unstruttal, Oppershausen, Bad Tennstedt.

Return to the wider travel overview: Unstrut-Hainich.