Gräfenthal: Hiking and History

Gräfenthal combines hiking opportunities with the history of the town and the division of Germany. When choosing a hotel, these themes can help shape your stay: consider whether you mainly want to go hiking, explore the town’s history, or combine both. The trails and places of remembrance offer different ways to do this.

Hiking the Slate Trail and the GeoTrail

The Slate Trail, marked as a circular hiking route, is about 60 km long and connects Probstzella, Lehesten, Ludwigsstadt and Gräfenthal. In places, it follows the Green Belt, the former inner-German border. Its approximate length and the fact that it connects several towns give you specific points of reference when planning a hiking stay.

A hike on the Slate Trail or the circular route can begin in Gräfenthal at the railway viaduct, which spans the town centre. The viaduct is therefore a clearly identified starting point in town. The Gräfenthal GeoTrail offers a different focus: its circular route provides views of the Zopte Valley and the town with Wespenstein Castle. While the Slate Trail focuses on the connections between towns and, in places, its route along the Green Belt, the GeoTrail is about views of the valley and town. This makes it easy to distinguish between the routes according to their respective focuses.

Museums and local history

The Gräfenthal Border and Local History Museum has a permanent exhibition on the forced resettlements from the restricted zone established in 1952. The museum also provides information about the decades-long division of Germany and almost 700 years of the town’s and castle’s history. This brings together a specific aspect of border history and a broader look at Gräfenthal’s development.

The museum in Wespenstein Castle was established in September 2003 by the local history association “Die Pappenheimer” for Heritage Day. Wespenstein Castle was once the seat of the hereditary marshals of the Holy Roman Empire from the House of Pappenheim and has shaped Gräfenthal’s townscape for centuries. The castle’s name also appears on the GeoTrail, whose circular route offers views of the town and the castle.

Places of remembrance and audio guides

The “Places of Democracy in Gräfenthal” circular route leads to signposted stops where audio guides are available via QR codes. This makes exploring the places of remembrance part of a route, with individual audio contributions at each stop.

The audio feature “Gräfenthal Train Accident” covers a separate historical topic: the tragic train accident that occurred in Gräfenthal on 23 October 1946. The town’s history is presented in different formats: as a permanent exhibition, through audio guides at stops, and as an audio feature about an event with a specific date.

Gräfenthal Outdoor Swimming Pool

Gräfenthal Outdoor Swimming Pool has extensive lawns for sunbathing and relaxing. If a visit is part of your plans, it is advisable to check the current opening hours in advance.

The Slate Trail and the GeoTrail offer different hiking perspectives; the museum, the places-of-remembrance route and the audio feature provide different ways to explore the town’s history.

Discover more destinations: Mellenbach-Glasbach, Middle Schwarzatal, Hohenwarte, Uhlstädt-Kirchhasel, Kamsdorf, Piesau, Lichte, Großkochberg.

Back to the main travel overview: Saalfeld-Rudolstadt.