Schleusingen: Castle, Museum and City History

Schleusingen brings together Renaissance history, natural history and a city festival tradition. Bertholdsburg Castle, the central market square and the Abitaufe offer different starting points for planning a trip. If you are looking for a hotel in Schleusingen, these cultural and event themes can help you tailor your stay to your interests.

Bertholdsburg Castle and Natural History Museum

Bertholdsburg Castle in Schleusingen is a Renaissance building flanked by four towers and featuring magnificent portals. Until 1583, the castle was the seat of the Counts of Henneberg. Today, it houses the Natural History Museum. This brings the castle’s history and natural history exhibitions together in one place.

The Natural History Museum spans nearly 2,000 m² across three large exhibitions in the castle’s east, north and west wings. Highlights include skeletons of dinosaurs from southern Thuringia, which are 5 to 6 m long. The museum rooms and the scale of the exhibitions give natural history a distinct place within the castle complex. Exhibition content and visitor arrangements may change; if you are planning a museum visit, check the current conditions before your trip.

Market Square and City Festival

In the centre of Schleusingen lies the market square, lined with lime trees. A market fountain dating from 1710 adorns it with a statue of Countess Elisabeth of Henneberg. Alongside the castle, the square presents another facet of the city’s history: here, the focus is not on the castle rooms, but on the fountain and statue.

The Abitaufe is a distinctive city festival tradition. It takes place every year on the penultimate weekend before the summer holidays and is one of the festival’s highlights. The graduating students of Hennebergisches Gymnasium “Georg Ernst” are pulled through the city in brightly decorated handcarts and then ceremonially baptised, after Countess Elisabeth has veiled her face on the market fountain. In this way, the festival brings together the graduating students, a procession through the city and the fountain in a recurring custom. If you would like to plan your trip around this event, check the specific date; its timing is linked to the summer holidays.

Nature and Outdoor Activities in Hildburghausen District

Hildburghausen District includes an extensive, contiguous forest area in Thuringian Forest Nature Park; the district is also characterised, among other things, by Vessertal Biosphere Reserve. In the Rodachaue heath landscape, panoramic views stretch across the meadows from the roof of the observation platform. Konik horses and Heck cattle contribute to the development of a near-natural landscape there. These regional landscapes add a distinct perspective to the city’s cultural themes.

The Mill Hiking Trail in the municipality of Straufhain is also in Hildburghausen District. It is about 7 km long and passes through an area where nine grain and sawmills once operated. Information boards at the former mill sites provide details about the facilities. The Werra Valley Cycle Route also runs through the Werra floodplains in the district and is particularly popular for cycling downstream. The Werra Valley is suitable for hiking and cycling; from Themar, it is also possible to travel downstream by water.

For winter sports enthusiasts, the municipality of Masserberg, including the districts of Heubach, Schnett and Fehrenbach, has more than 70 km of cross-country ski trails as well as numerous ski touring routes. Trail lengths and grooming conditions may vary by season. Travellers choosing their dates around specific activities can thus distinguish between Schleusingen’s cultural attractions and the district’s seasonal offerings, without treating them as the same destination theme.

Discover more destinations: Heckengereuth, Hildburghausen, Masserberg, Eisfeld, Fehrenbach, Langenbach, Biberschlag, Veilsdorf.

Back to the regional travel overview: Hildburghausen-Suhl.