Ohrdruf: Bach History, Churches and Hiking Trails

Ohrdruf combines Bach history, church and industrial history with opportunities for hiking and cycling. If you’re looking for a hotel in Ohrdruf, you can first decide whether music history, historic buildings or a tour in the nature park should be the focus of your trip. The local attractions differ considerably: a permanent exhibition, churches and a historic hammer mill sit alongside a hiking route with a specified length and a cycling tour that passes through Ohrdruf.

Bach History and Churches in Ohrdruf

Johann Sebastian Bach spent five formative years in Ohrdruf with his older brother Johann Christoph Bach. Both the Ohrdrufer Bachtage and the Bach Cycle Experience Route are connected with this period. The permanent exhibition at Schloss Ehrenstein Museum explores Bach’s childhood and youth in Ohrdruf from 1695 to 1700. You can therefore encounter the Bach theme in different forms: as part of the town’s history, as the subject of an exhibition, and as a point of reference when planning events and cycling trips.

The organ built by Georg Franz Ratzmann in 1814 is still in St. Trinitatiskirche and continues to be played there today. Another striking church building is the tower of St. Michaeliskirche, rebuilt in 1998/99, which is now considered a highlight of Ohrdruf’s tourist attractions. The Michaelisturm houses a small chapel and an exhibition on the history of the tower. The church history thus centers on an instrument that is still played and a tower with its own historical story.

Industrial History and an Altarpiece on the Outskirts

Tobiashammer was built around 1480 as an iron, wire and sickle hammer mill. Its three original functions point to the artisanal and industrial side of the town’s history. The Kewpies tell a different story: they were originally made in Ohrdruf and set out from there on their international success as good-luck charms. Schloss Ehrenstein can also be encountered outside the museum: the Siechhofskirche on the outskirts of Ohrdruf still houses the altarpiece from the former palace chapel. If you include this stop in your plans, bear in mind that it is located outside the town.

Hiking and Cycling

For a hike, the Naturpark-Tor Ohrdruf is a designated starting point for tours in the Thuringian Forest Nature Park. The Walter Schütz Nature Park Trail starts there: it is 12 kilometers long and has an elevation gain of around 284 meters. These two figures give you a concrete reference point for planning the length of your hike. By bike, the Three-Town Tour passes through Ohrdruf and follows cycle paths on some sections; one section runs along the Bach Cycle Experience Route. You can therefore consider a named hiking trail and a cycling tour through the town as different components of your trip. Check the conditions on each route before setting off.

Events and Getting There

The Ohrdrufer Bachtage have been held every two years since their first edition in June 2010. The program includes concerts, lectures and music projects. If you’d like to plan your trip around the event, check the dates of the relevant edition in advance. For travel by public transport, Ohrdruf can be reached by bus route 860 via the Suhler Straße or Tobiashammer stops; in Gotha, you can connect to the train. Before traveling, check the timetable for route 860 and the connecting service in Gotha.

Discover more destinations: Gierstädt, Apfelstädt, Emleben, Gräfenhain, Großfahner, Leinatal, Aspach, Schwabhausen.

Back to the broader travel guide: Gotha.