Sömmerda between city history and the woad mill

The Erfurt Gate, the town wall and the town park open up different chapters of Sömmerda’s history. Other attractions include a technical museum, the woad mill in Rohrborn, and hiking and cycling options in other parts of the district. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in the region, it is worth first deciding what you want to focus on: sightseeing in Sömmerda, routes near Rastenberg or archaeological history in Bilzingsleben will take you to different destinations.

City history in Sömmerda

The listed Erfurt Gate was built in 1395, according to chronicle accounts, as an entrance to the town within the existing fortifications. It was one of the first of five town gates in the town wall, which was expanded from 1589 onwards. Thanks to continuous restoration and renovation, the historic town wall is well preserved. Visitors who want to learn more about the town can ask the Sömmerda Tourist Information Office about private guided tours: these follow the wall and pass some of the town’s most beautiful places and sights.

The town park also tells a story of the town’s past. It was laid out as a public garden and opened at Pentecost in 1903. Behind the Dreyse House is also a Biedermeier-style garden with around 140 historic and English roses. Together, the gate, wall and park offer several ways to explore the town and its history during your stay.

Industrial history, markets and milling traditions

The Historical and Technical Museum traces Sömmerda’s 200-year industrial development. Its story ranges from the founding of the Dreyse rifle factory to Rheinmetall’s production sites and the office machine factory in the former GDR. This brings a different aspect of the town’s history into focus than a walk along the fortifications.

At Sömmerda’s weekly markets, local producers sell regional food, including fruit and vegetables, sausages and other meat products, fish, baked goods and cheese. Many of the products are organic. A woad mill in Rohrborn has been restored to its original condition. At the annual Mill Day on Whit Monday and the Woad Mill Festival in August, woad is ground there as it was in the past, and visitors can learn about the old tradition. If you are planning to attend a demonstration, check the dates for the relevant year.

In Kölleda, a local history museum and a radio communications museum add to the district’s museum offerings. The Streitseebad there was ceremonially reopened on 14 May 2022 and refurbished as a place for recreation and sports.

Hiking trails, archaeology and destinations in the district

Near Rastenberg, circular routes, a geological educational trail and cycling routes start at the town hall or the forest swimming pool. They are located in the Finne nature reserve. The 91.7-kilometre Finne Hiking Trail is a long-distance route in Central Germany; a section in the Rastenberg area can also be walked as a circular route. The forest swimming pool has been open since 1925. Its features include almost 5,000 square metres of water, historic changing cabins and a covered promenade.

The Bilzingsleben Stone Age site is a former travertine quarry in Sömmerda district. Around 370,000 years ago, it was a campsite used by Homo erectus bilzingslebenensis. The Time Travel Trail explores another aspect of archaeology: it links the “Leubingen Fürstenhügel” service area on the A 71 with the Leubingen princely burial mound. Its exhibition and stations explain historical, archaeological and geographical connections.

Cycling routes also offer a reason to include the region’s towns and landscapes in your travel plans. The Laura Cycle Route links the Ilmtal Cycle Route in Weimar with the Unstrut Cycle Route near Schallenburg in Sömmerda. The 66-hectare Alperstedt Lake in Sömmerda district is connected to the long-distance and regional cycling network in Central Thuringia. Alperstedt Lake offers opportunities for camping, swimming, sailing, surfing, paddling, relaxing and dining; nearby destinations include Erfurt, Sömmerda and Weimar.

Getting there and choosing a location

Sömmerda is connected to the regional and national transport network via the B 85 between Weimar and Bad Frankenhausen, the B 176 between Bad Langensalza and Naumburg, and the A 71 between Erfurt and Sangerhausen. The junctions are called “Sömmerda-Süd” and “Sömmerda-Ost.” Regional trains run between Erfurt and Sangerhausen and between Straußfurt and Großheringen; there are also numerous bus connections to neighbouring towns. When choosing a hotel, it is therefore helpful to identify your planned destinations: city history in Sömmerda, routes near Rastenberg or other places in the district will give your stay a different focus.

Discover more destinations: Kölleda, Sömmerda, Bilzingsleben, Beichlingen, Markvippach, Guthmannshausen, Kannawurf, Gebesee, Rastenberg, Elxleben an der Gera, Großrudestedt, Buttstädt, Straußfurt, Kindelbrück, Weißensee, Henschleben.

View the full travel overview: Thuringia.