Wipfratal: Landscape and Pilgrim Routes in the Surrounding Area

When planning a trip to Wipfratal, you can focus on different things: pilgrim routes in the wider region, landscapes in the area of the former municipality of Wipfratal, and culture in the wider destination of Arnstadt.

Pilgrim Routes and Landscape

In the wider region, the Elisabeth-Walburga-Paulina Pilgrim Route runs for about 54 kilometers from Erfurt via Arnstadt to Paulinzella. It is classified as easy to moderately difficult. Its second stage is about 16 kilometers long and runs from Arnstadt via Dornheim, Oberndorf, Hausen, Görbitzhausen, and Roda to Niederwillingen. The full route and the stage represent different trip lengths; the difficulty rating refers to the pilgrim route. This makes it possible to distinguish the longer route from a specific, named section.

The mountainous foothills of the Thuringian Forest are characteristic of the former municipality of Wipfratal, with its twelve districts. The Reinsberg range between Schmerfeld and Reinsfeld is the highest point in the area of the former municipality. The “Von Bach zu Goethe” (From Bach to Goethe) hiking trail in the nearby area offers another perspective on the landscape: it runs over the Reinsberge and Veronikaberg and offers panoramic views into the valley of the wild Gera, of the ridges of the Thuringian Forest, and of Wipfratal.

Water, Nature, and Regional Themes

The Heyda Reservoir is located within the areas of both the former municipality of Wipfratal and Ilmenau, and is a recreational area. It is a popular destination for excursions and a fishing and fish-farming lake. Rare marsh and water birds are also found at the reservoir. Recreation, fishing, and nature thus represent different aspects of this body of water.

In the area of the former municipality of Wipfratal, the solar village of Kettmannshausen is a demonstration and communication center for decentralized solar and hydrogen technology and the home of the youth research center. Educational projects in education for sustainable development use age-appropriate models of energy technologies for climate protection and pioneering digital technologies. This adds a focus on energy and education to the landscape themes.

In the area of the former municipality of Wipfratal, the Kunst- und Käsehof in Görbitzhausen and the NaturErlebnishof in Hausen are located along the Arnstadt–Stadtilm cycle route. These two named places provide points of reference along this route; the cycle route itself passes through the named villages and connects them with Arnstadt and Stadtilm.

Culture in the Wider Destination of Arnstadt

Arnstadt is home to the Renaissance town hall, built between 1582 and 1586. Its facade, with decorative gables and numerous ornamental details, occupies the north side of the market square. The Bach monument in Arnstadt’s market square depicts Johann Sebastian Bach as a young man, casually leaning against a milestone. The town hall facade and the monument give the market square distinct architectural and biographical accents.

The Upper Church, also known as the Barefoot Church, was built around 1250 and served as the monastery church of the Franciscan Order. Its interior features a wooden barrel vault and an organ gallery dating from 1624; two additional galleries on the south wall date from the mid-17th century. The Palace Museum in the New Palace displays furniture and artistic treasures from the former princely collection in reconstructed Baroque rooms on the south side of the piano nobile. On the ground floor of the southern Corps de Logis, visitors can walk through the “Mon plaisir” doll town with its houses and rooms.

Johann Sebastian Bach was appointed organist at the New Church in Arnstadt in August 1703 and remained there until 1707. The Alteburg on the southern edge of Arnstadt also combines history and landscape: it was a fortified prehistoric hilltop settlement on a Muschelkalk limestone plateau, with steep slopes falling away on three sides. The settlement was inhabited during the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages and fortified with ramparts and ditches; two ramparts and remnants of an outer rampart remain.

The original castle tower in Arnstadt stands 65 meters tall and has a copper-clad cupola and spire. It underwent extensive restoration in 1998/99. Arnstadt announced a total of 200 town tours for 2026, including around 30 themed special tours. If you would like to include a tour in your plans, check the specific dates.

Discover more destinations: Gehren, Ichtershausen, Frauenwald, Geschwenda, Möhrenbach, Kirchheim, Langewiesen, Friedersdorf.

View the wider travel overview: Ilm-Kreis.