Discover Sontra: Old Town, Mining History and Trails

Sontra brings together a range of travel interests: historic townscapes, traces of mining, and routes for hiking and cycling. These topics can be easily distinguished when planning your trip. The highlights range from the half-timbered town hall to former mining sites, and activities include everything from a pump track to hiking and cycling trails.

Old Town and Mining History

Among the special sights is the historic Old Town with its impressive half-timbered town hall. A visit to Brodberg offers a glimpse into the area’s mining history: copper was mined there more than 500 years ago, followed later by cobalt and barite. The Old Town represents the historic townscape, while Brodberg reflects the mining history and the range of resources extracted. These two themes offer different focuses for your visit—urban architecture on the one hand and mining history on the other.

Hiking Trails with Different Themes

The routes also vary in length and theme. The premium trail P26 “Holstein” is an 8-kilometer circular route through the Holstein recreation area. The 3.7-kilometer Bundeswehr Lehrpfad (German Armed Forces educational trail) runs through the former Husarenkaserne barracks grounds and offers insights into the region’s military history. P26 stands out as the longer circular route, while the educational trail combines a shorter distance with historical connections. Check the latest route details before setting out, as route information may change.

The long-distance hiking trails “Weg der Deutschen Einheit” and Barbarossaweg (X8) also pass through Sontra. A different perspective on the region’s routes is offered by the 36-kilometer Glück-Auf cycle path: it connects Cornberg, Nentershausen, Solz, and Sontra, places shaped by copper shale mining.

Activities on Two Wheels

Sontra offers two differently designed courses for wheeled activities. The Sontra pump track includes a kids’ course with asphalt rollers and turns about 20 centimeters high. It is intended as a fun introduction to wheeled sports for toddlers and balance-bike riders. The MTB skills course in Sontra, by contrast, is 380 meters long, covers about 1,000 square meters, and has an elevation difference of around 1.5 meters. Features include two wooden bridges, a rock garden, a sand section with various difficulty levels, and a log ride—a downhill section over a tree trunk.

Regional Nature and Hiking

For tourism, Werra-Meißner district is part of Geo-Naturpark Frau-Holle-Land. Hoher Meißner is the highest mountain in the region and is considered the home of Frau Holle. The district has a dense network of certified premium trails, as well as the Werra-Burgen-Steig Hessen; these take hikers to particularly scenic areas in the Geo-Naturpark. The landscape between the Werra Valley, Hoher Meißner, and Kaufunger Wald features geological diversity, varied landforms, and a rich range of flora and fauna.

The seasons also shape the landscapes visitors can experience in Geo-Naturpark Frau-Holle-Land. Highlights include cherry blossom in the Witzenhausen cherry-growing area, orchid blooms, pink poppy fields in Germerode and Grandenborn, Frau Holle’s flower meadows, and autumn foliage and winter sports on Hoher Meißner. Blooming periods vary from year to year; check current information when planning a specific visit.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Berneburg, Neu-Eichenberg, Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Herleshausen, Meißner, Witzenhausen, Berkatal, Ringgau.

See the main travel overview: Werra-Meißner district.