Winterstein: Castle Park, Falconry and Circular Trail

Winterstein offers three distinct themes to consider when planning your trip: cultural history in the castle park, birds of prey at the falconry centre on the Rennsteig, and the “Inselsbergblick” circular trail. When deciding where to stay, it may help to choose what matters most: historic sites, a bookable falconry experience or a circular trail through Winterstein.

Castle Park and the Dog’s Grave

Winterstein’s castle park is home to the castle quarter with its castle ruins and defensive ditch, the bailiwick and the manor house. The manor’s barn is now used as a visitor centre. The places described therefore include the castle complex with its defensive ditch, as well as the bailiwick and the manor house; the manor’s barn also has a present-day use.

Below the castle ruins is a gravestone for Stutzel, a loyal dog. The grave for Stuczel was established in 1630. The gravestone shifts the focus from architectural features to an individual dog, adding a personal touch. The year 1630 also gives the site a specific historical date. Those interested in history will find a tangible memorial here alongside the castle complex.

Falconry and the Circular Trail: Different Experiences

The falconry centre on the Rennsteig offers a bookable experience day as a falconer. Children can get close to birds of prey and earn a junior falconer certificate. This makes a specific bird-of-prey experience the focus. If you would like to include this activity in your plans, please check the booking details in advance, as they may change.

The “Inselsbergblick” circular trail opened on 24 July 2021 and also passes through Winterstein. Unlike the bookable falconry experience, which centres on a day as a falconer, this option centres on a walking trail. This distinction makes it easy to choose between a trail and a themed experience.

Cultural Attractions in the Wider Waltershausen Destination

The wider Waltershausen destination also offers other cultural and sporting attractions in the regional context. The GutsMuths Memorial Hall in Schnepfenthal is a centre for sport and culture. It presents information on history, nature, GutsMuths and the Rennsteiglauf, and has established itself as a gallery hosting special exhibitions. Outside, information boards explain GutsMuths and his pupils, and trees from every continent are on display. The hall’s themes therefore range from sport and culture to nature and history.

The ballroom at Tenneberg Castle in the wider Waltershausen destination also offers a specific connection to architecture and art. It dates from 1719, is one of the castle’s three surviving Baroque rooms, and features a ceiling painting by Johann Heinrich Ritter, a court painter from Thuringia. The focus here is on a Baroque room with a known date and its ceiling painting.

The town church “Zur Gotteshilfe” in Waltershausen is considered Thuringia’s first major Baroque central-plan church and a forerunner of Dresden’s Frauenkirche in terms of its floor plan and construction. Its organ also has specific features: it has three manuals, 53 sounding stops and 2,806 pipes.

Places of interest in Schnepfenthal within the wider Waltershausen destination include the historic cemetery in Hardt, an old manor house and Salzmannschule grammar school. This selection complements Winterstein’s castle park and falconry attractions with further historical, architectural and cultural points of interest across the wider destination.

Discover more destinations: Schmerbach

Return to the overview of the wider destination: Emsetal.