Discover Steinach

Steinach brings together historic buildings, museums, hiking trails and other experiences in one place. The New Palace, the themes of slate and wooden toys, and the various trails give your trip a range of possible focuses.

Culture in Steinach: Palace, Slate and Toys

The New Palace in Steinach was built between 1747 and 1755. If you are interested in local history and architecture, you can include this building in your plans as a historic point of interest. The German Slate Museum explores another subject, vividly explaining how slate forms, is mined and processed. Special focus is placed on slate used for making slate pencils.

The Steinach Toy Box showcases wooden toys, dolls, historic ship models and Marolin papier-mâché figures made in Steinach. The museum thus brings together a range of collections, from wooden toys to ship models and figures. If you are planning a visit, check the current visitor information in advance.

Hiking: Circular Trails and Nearby Destinations

Steinach has a well-marked network of hiking trails with five circular routes. These are laid out and maintained by the Thüringerwald Verein Steinach e.V. The network also includes the Griffelpfad, the “6 Kuppen-Steig” and a high-altitude trail to the neighboring town of Lauscha. The trails offer different ways to plan a hike: a circular hike focuses on a loop, while the high-altitude trail names Lauscha as its destination. No information about duration or difficulty is implied, so choose your route based on the relevant trail information.

When planning your trip, it is also useful to distinguish between a local circular route and a trail with a destination in a neighboring town. This can help you decide whether to take a loop hike or consider a route with a named destination. The Griffelpfad and the “6 Kuppen-Steig” add to the options, but their names alone do not indicate their length or the nature of the routes.

Experiences and Seasonal Events

At Fellbergstadion, a high ropes course features an obstacle course built on tree trunks. It includes 16 challenges at a height of around ten meters, which can be completed in pairs or as a team. This describes the format of the course and its challenges; check the latest visitor and operating information before planning a visit.

At the Steinach Sculptors’ Symposium, visitors can watch five sculptors create wooden sculptures on site. During its 20th edition, the palace courtyard in Steinach once again became an art studio for a week. The Griffel and Christmas Market is held every year on the second weekend of Advent in the market square. It features a festively decorated Christmas tree and a program; program details may vary.

The Silbersattel Ski Arena is another activity on offer in Steinach. If winter sports are part of your trip, check the latest operating information in advance. This will help you plan your visit around your travel dates without assuming that seasonal activities are available year-round.

In the broader destination of Sonneberg

In the broader destination of Sonneberg, Sonneberg district lies within the Thuringian Forest Nature Park and the Slate Land National Geopark; the German Toy Route also runs through the district. The Thüringen Alpin Silbersattel Ski Arena, a regional winter sports destination, is near the slate town of Steinach. It is located in Sonneberg district and is considered Thuringia’s largest and most snow-reliable ski area. Operating details and seasonal offers may change, so it is worth checking them before your trip.

The Museum of Glass Art in Lauscha is also part of the cultural offering in the broader destination of Sonneberg. It presents the history of glass Christmas tree decorations, from baubles to other shapes, from 1860 to the present day. The production of mouth-blown Lauscha Christmas tree decorations has been included in the nationwide Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Those looking to broaden their regional hiking options can visit the GeoPfad Bleßberghöhle in the broader destination of Sonneberg. It starts at the Bleßberghöhle Geopark information point at Schalkau station and runs for 17.6 kilometers to Seltendorf station. Information panels explain the cave’s discovery, the geology along the Franconian Line fault zone, and karst features such as sinkholes, karst springs and disappearing streams. This offers a specific longer hike to consider as a separate regional option.

Hotels for Your Stay in Steinach

Whether you want to focus on the palace and museums, one of Steinach’s hiking options or a seasonal event, you can choose your destination based on the themes that interest you. Then search for hotels in Steinach and check the specific offer details for your trip. Regional destinations and trails are additional themes to consider when planning, not features of any accommodation.

Discover more destinations: Mengersgereuth-Hämmern, Sonneberg, Lauscha, Effelder-Rauenstein, Spechtsbrunn, Judenbach, Neuhaus-Schierschnitz, Steinheid.

Go to the broader travel overview: Sonneberg.