Hohenfelden: Church and Open-Air Museum

Two subjects stand out when planning a trip to Hohenfelden: the architectural history of the St. Burkhard chancel-tower church and the rural collection at the Thuringian Open-Air Museum. The Weimarer Land adds its own hiking and cultural themes to these local attractions. You can shape your planned stay around your interests, whether they lie primarily in church architecture, rural material culture, or a broader regional programme.

St. Burkhard: Architectural History and Interior

The Hohenfelden chancel-tower church of St. Burkhard probably dates back to a Romanesque predecessor building that was remodelled in the 15th century. The likely Romanesque origins and the later remodelling mark distinct stages in the building’s history.

After a village fire in 1810, the church was rebuilt in its present form. The building includes a wooden barrel vault and two galleries. Its present appearance was therefore also shaped by the reconstruction after the fire.

The interior includes a wooden pulpit altar and a wooden baptismal font, both richly decorated. The building’s design, reconstruction and furnishings offer different points of interest if you are curious about the church’s history and architecture.

The Thuringian Open-Air Museum Hohenfelden

Through changing temporary and permanent exhibitions, the Thuringian Open-Air Museum Hohenfelden presents an extensive collection of rural artefacts from central Thuringia. This offers a different focus from church architecture: objects and themes relating to rural life.

One specific subject area can be found in the peat barn: since 1993, it has housed the permanent exhibition “Shepherds and Sheep Farming in Thuringia”. The exhibition focuses on a clearly defined aspect of rural material culture, while the rest of the collection offers a broader regional perspective.

Weimarer Land: Trails and More Cultural Themes

Within the broader destination of the Weimarer Land, the Thuringian Open-Air Museum Hohenfelden features more than 40 historic buildings dating from the 16th to the 20th century. The exhibition of rural artefacts and the buildings from different centuries thus offer two distinct perspectives on the museum’s themes.

The Hohenfelden Museum Trail follows scenic paths to places and food and drink options in the Hohenfelden Reservoir visitor region. The named stops include Hohenfelden Reservoir and the Thuringian Open-Air Museum Hohenfelden. Check current trail conditions when planning your specific walk.

The Thuringian Three Towers Trail has a different focus: this circular hiking trail lies in the southern Weimarer Land, passes through the protected landscape of the central Ilm Valley, and links the Paulinenturm near Bad Berka, the Hainturm in the Belvedere Forest near Weimar, and the Carolinenturm near Blankenhain. While the Museum Trail focuses on places and food and drink options in the visitor area, the three towers and protected landscape shape the theme of this route.

The Goethe Adventure Trail connects Weimar and Großkochberg, follows Goethe’s route to Charlotte von Stein, and features 12 experience stations combining nature and culture. For Nordic walking, the VitalParcours Bad Berka offers routes through the varied landscapes of the Weimarer Land. A total of four routes were certified as quality trails by the German Nordic Walking Association in 2011.

Other cultural attractions in the Weimarer Land have their own distinctive focus. The GlockenStadtMuseum Apolda explores the cultural history of bells and the region’s textile industry. Since 1995, the Kunsthaus Apolda Avantgarde has presented exhibitions by international and regional artists; its programme also includes lectures, auctions, book readings and film screenings. Check current listings for individual events.

For a culinary focus, seminars or training sessions for up to 80 people can be booked at the Thuringian Dumpling Museum throughout the year. At the dumpling cookery school and potato pancake school, you can prepare Thuringian classics. These activities are subject to booking and availability on specific dates.

Choose the Right Focus for Your Trip

When looking for a hotel in Hohenfelden, you can start by organising your itinerary: would you like to focus on local history at St. Burkhard and the Open-Air Museum, or would you also like to include hiking trails and cultural attractions in the Weimarer Land? The places described offer a range of themes—from church architecture and rural collections to circular hiking trails, literary sites and regional museums.

Discover more destinations: Apolda, Bad Sulza, Blankenhain, Kleinschwabhausen, Weimar, Niederzimmern, Schwerstedt, Kapellendorf

For the broader travel overview: Weimarer Land.