Gehren: Cycling Routes, Heideteich and History

Gehren offers several distinct starting points for a trip: Johann Michael Bach and St. Michael’s town church represent the area’s musical history, while the ruins of a former hunting lodge provide another historical focus. There is also the Heideteich recreation area, as well as cycling and hiking trails. When looking for a hotel in Gehren, you can first consider whether culture, cycling or spending time outdoors is most important for your stay.

Cultural History in Gehren

Johann Michael Bach served as an organist, composer, musical instrument maker and town clerk in the predecessor building of today’s St. Michael’s town church. A new church was planned on the site of a church believed to have been built before 1475. The history of the church site thus connects Bach’s wide-ranging work with an earlier phase of construction. The ruins of the later hunting lodge of the Princes of Schwarzburg offer a different historical perspective. The lodge served as their residence; today, the ruins and the palace park are a tourist attraction. Together, the church and castle ruins represent different historical themes: Bach’s work and the former residential role of the Princes of Schwarzburg.

Recreation and Trails

The Heideteich recreation area is especially suitable for families with children; the municipal grounds include several landscaped playgrounds. Gehren has well-signposted cycling and hiking trails with notable tourist hiking destinations. The clear signposting helps with navigation, while the notable hiking destinations give the trails a specific thematic focus. The Ilm-Rennsteig cycling route passes the castle ruins as it goes through Gehren and climbs towards the Rennsteig along a former railway line that has been converted into a cycling route. The fourth stage of the Waldrandroute Nord from Ilmenau to Saalfeld passes through Gehren. Check local conditions before setting out.

Ilmenau

Ilmenau itself offers further nature, sports and cultural attractions. Kickelhahn, Ilmenau’s local mountain, is 861 metres high. Its 21-metre observation tower is one of the city’s landmarks. The Trailpark Lindenberg has three different mountain biking trails, while the 20-kilometre Goethewanderweg connects places associated with Goethe, from Ilmenau to Stützerbach. These activities offer different ways to explore the area: mountain biking on the trails or hiking with a connection to Goethe. Check current local information about Trailpark Lindenberg before riding. Numerous ski and winter hiking trails run from Ilmenau to the Rennsteig and from Auerhahn to Kickelhahn; snow and trail conditions may vary. The cultural sites also offer different points of interest: the Münzkeller is right next to the Alte Münze and offers insights into the 16th century. The Bergmannskapelle is on Sturmheide, in the heart of the former Ilmenau copper and silver mining district, below the spoil heap of the former “Gottes Gabe” mine shaft; it houses an exhibition on Ilmenau’s copper shale mining.

Discover more destinations: Möhrenbach, Stadtilm, Elxleben, Ilmtal, Großbreitenbach, Bösleben-Wüllersleben, Behringen, Elleben

See the broader travel overview: Ilm-Kreis.