Masserberg: Hiking, Forest and Cultural History

Masserberg lies right on the Rennsteig and is surrounded by forest meadows and beech and spruce forests. The forest and ridge shape your stay, along with winter sports and cultural history. The Evangelical Mountain Church and the Rennsteigwarte offer different historical highlights, while hiking trails and a barefoot path provide different ways to enjoy outdoor activities.

Hiking on the Rennsteig and along the ridge

The Rennsteig runs right by Masserberg; numerous well-marked hiking trails offer routes through the Thuringian Forest Nature Park. On the ridge, you can hike in different directions with ease and little change in elevation. If you prefer a different way to get around, you can take a horse-drawn carriage ride. The barefoot path in Masserberg, laid out by the local tourism association, leads over natural forest soil, sharp wood chips, wooden tree slices and soft moss. This offers a different focus from hiking along the ridge: here, the changing surfaces shape the path, while there, the variety of hiking directions and gentle gradients take centre stage.

Winter sports when snow conditions are sufficient

When snow conditions are sufficient, the ski stadium in Masserberg is a centre for winter sports. It offers opportunities to practise and train, as well as to hold numerous ski competitions. Unlike hiking along the ridge, the winter sports on offer at the stadium are expressly dependent on sufficient snow cover.

The Mountain Church and Christ the King

The present-day Evangelical Mountain Church in Masserberg was consecrated on 9 October 1883. The church that previously stood there was destroyed in a fire in 1880. The fire and consecration mark two milestones in the church’s history: the destruction of its predecessor and the consecration of the present church.

The “Masserberg Christ the King” has been housed in the Mountain Church since the third Sunday of Advent in 1980. The Greiz sculptor Elly-Viola Nahmmacher carved the artwork from a linden tree trunk. It is 3 m high and 2.65 m wide. The consecration of the church and the later display of the artwork are two clearly distinct historical moments within the same church.

The Rennsteigwarte on Eselsberg

The Rennsteigwarte on 842 m-high Eselsberg offers panoramic views across the Thuringian Forest and its foothills. It was preceded by two wooden towers: a storm destroyed the first in 1951, and a lightning strike destroyed the second in 1974. The Rennsteigwarte was also built in 1974. Its history therefore includes both the panoramic views and the two predecessor structures that were destroyed.

More to explore in the Hildburghausen district

The Hildburghausen district includes an extensive, contiguous forest area in the Thuringian Forest Nature Park; the district is also shaped, among other things, by the Vessertal Biosphere Reserve. Other cultural attractions include museums with a range of different focuses.

The Henneberg Museum Kloster Veßra is a 6-hectare open-air museum. Its four themed areas cover the history of the monastery, half-timbered architecture and everyday life in the Henneberg region, as well as agricultural technology and sustainability. The German Castle Museum at Veste Heldburg explores the history and culture of castles in Europe from the Middle Ages to the present day. The permanent exhibition is laid out as a tour through the entire fortress. Visitors learn how castle construction changed from one era to the next and get to know Veste Heldburg.

Discover more destinations: Straufhain, Ehrenberg, Goldlauter, Eisfeld, Reurieth, Nahetal-Waldau, Biberschlag, Heubach

View the regional travel overview: Hildburghausen-Suhl.