#11 - Wasserkuppe

Mountain #11 - Wasserkuppe

Meiningen - Highlights

  • Elisabethenburg Castle: This Baroque castle is the landmark of Meiningen and houses the Meiningen Theatre and the Meiningen City Museum. It is an impressive building with beautiful gardens.
  • English Garden: The English Garden is a landscape garden laid out in the 19th century. It invites you to take a relaxing walk and offers beautiful views of the city.
  • Meininger Theatre: The Meininger Theatre is one of the oldest and most renowned theatres in Germany. It was founded in the 19th century and offers a variety of performances, including operas, plays and ballet.
  • Landsberg Castle: Landsberg Castle is located just outside Meiningen and is also worth a visit. It is a well-preserved Renaissance castle with a beautiful castle park.
  • Stadtkirche Unserer Lieben Frauen: The Stadtkirche is an imposing Gothic church in the old town of Meiningen. It was built in the 13th century and has impressive architecture and ornate stained glass.
  • Museum im Schloss: The Museum im Schloss is located in Elisabethenburg Castle and presents an extensive collection on the history and culture of the region. There are exhibitions on topics such as art, crafts and historical technology.
  • Meiningen museums: In addition to the town museum and the museum in the castle, there are other interesting museums in Meiningen, such as the Max Reger Archive or the Meiningen Steam Locomotive Works, where historic steam locomotives are restored.

Mountain #11 - Wasserkuppe, Hessen

Hesse is a region within Germany, with its capital city being Wiesbaden. The largest urban area in Hesse is Frankfurt, which serves as the country's primary financial hub. Darmstadt and Kassel are two other significant historical cities in the region. Hesse spans an area of 21,114.73 square kilometers and has a population of over six million people, ranking it seventh in size and fifth in population among the sixteen German states. The Frankfurt Rhine-Main area, the country's second-largest metropolitan region (following Rhine-Ruhr), is predominantly situated in Hesse. Additionally, Hesse encompasses Rhenish Hesse (Rheinhessen), an area in the neighboring state of Rhineland-Palatinate, within its cultural boundaries.

At 950.2 metres, the Wasserkuppe is the highest mountain in Hesse.

Hünfeld - Highlights

  • Haydau Monastery: Haydau Monastery is a former Cistercian monastery dating from the 13th century. It impresses with its impressive architecture and today houses a hotel and restaurant.
  • Stadtkirche St. Jakobus: The Stadtkirche St. Jakobus is a beautiful Gothic church from the 14th century. It has a richly decorated interior and is definitely worth a visit.
  • Eulenturm: The Eulenturm is a remnant of the old town fortifications of Hünfeld. It dates from the 15th century and once served as a defence tower. Today it is a popular photo motif and a testimony to the town's history.
  • Schlossgarten park: The Schlossgarten is an extensive park that stretches around Hünfeld Castle. Here you can go for a walk, enjoy nature and possibly even take part in outdoor events.

Bad Hersfeld - Highlights

  • Abbey ruins: The Abbey ruins are the landmark of Bad Hersfeld and one of the largest Romanesque church ruins in Europe. It is often used for theatre performances and other cultural events.
  • Kurpark: The Kurpark is a beautiful park that invites you to relax and take a walk. Here you will find ponds, flowerbeds and beautiful green spaces.
  • St. Boniface Town Church: The St. Boniface Town Church is an impressive Gothic church from the 13th century. It is known for its magnificent interior decoration.
  • Half-timbered house ensemble: In the old town of Bad Hersfeld there are many well-preserved half-timbered houses that offer a charming historical ambience. A walk through the narrow streets and past the half-timbered houses is highly recommended.
  • Eichhof Castle: Eichhof Castle is located just outside Bad Hersfeld and is an imposing castle complex with a large park. Today it houses a youth hostel, among other things.

Rhön, wonderful roads for cycling, but not flat. Wasserkuppe had a motorcyclist meeting, hundreds of them. Impressive as well the little airport up there and many paragliders in the air. At lunch time for a coffee in Hünfeld, many memories concerning conferences there. Had a slow afternoon and read SZ because I wanted to stay at the Kanuclub Bad Hersfeld, but there was a meeting of motorsport fans just next  door. Ended up at 18.30 in Wallenstein.