Schleusingen between castle history and dinosaurs
Accommodation in Schleusingen
Renaissance history, natural history and city festival traditions come together in Schleusingen. Bertholdsburg Castle and the Natural History Museum housed within it are one focal point; the market square is another: its architecture, fountain and distinctive festival tradition tell the story of the town. When choosing your holiday apartment, you can consider whether the castle and museum, or the activity around the market square, will shape your stay.
Ensemble Johanniskirchplatz, Nr. 3 Schleusingen
Photo: Tilman2007 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Bertholdsburg Castle: Renaissance and natural history
Bertholdsburg is a Renaissance building flanked by four towers and distinguished by its magnificent portals. Until 1583, the castle was the seat of the Counts of Henneberg. Today, it houses the Natural History Museum. The same castle thus brings together architectural history and natural history exhibitions—two different ways to experience Schleusingen.
The museum uses three large exhibitions to fill nearly 2,000 square metres of space in the east, north and west wings. Highlights include the 5- to 6-metre-long skeletons of dinosaurs from southern Thuringia. This impressive size makes clear that the focus is not only on the castle’s architecture, but also on striking natural history exhibits. Exhibits may change; check the Natural History Museum’s current visitor information before your trip.
Market square and city festival traditions
At the centre of Schleusingen lies the market square, lined with lime trees. Its market fountain, dating from 1710, bears a statue of Countess Elisabeth of Henneberg. The square thus connects a specific historical landmark with the townscape of today: when looking at the fountain, its date and the countess depicted there are integral to the place.
An annual tradition also features the countess. The Abitaufe, or graduation baptism, is a highlight of the city festival and takes place on the second-to-last weekend before the summer holidays. The graduating students of the Hennebergisches Gymnasium “Georg Ernst” are pulled through town in brightly decorated handcarts and then ceremonially baptised, after Countess Elisabeth has veiled her face on the market fountain. If you would like to take this tradition into account when planning your trip, check the exact event dates.
More perspectives in Hildburghausen district
Hildburghausen district also offers a range of landscape and cultural themes. It includes a continuous forest area in the Thuringian Forest Nature Park; the district is also shaped, among other things, by the Vessertal Biosphere Reserve. These regional points of interest complement Schleusingen’s specific town highlights with a broader perspective on nature and landscape.
The Hennebergisches Museum Kloster Veßra is a six-hectare open-air museum in Hildburghausen district. Its four thematic areas cover the history of the monastery, half-timbered architecture and everyday life in the Henneberg region, as well as agricultural technology and sustainability. The German Castles Museum at Heldburg Fortress offers a different historical perspective: it presents the history and culture of castles in Europe from the Middle Ages to the present day. The permanent exhibition is laid out as a tour through the entire fortress and explores how castle architecture changed from one era to the next.
When choosing a holiday apartment, the mix of experiences you want may be decisive: the castle, Natural History Museum and market square are Schleusingen’s main attractions; the nature and cultural themes mentioned above broaden the view to Hildburghausen district. Tailor your search to what you want to focus on during your stay, and check which specific location suits your plans.
More destinations
Discover more destinations: Heckengereuth, Auengrund, Reurieth, Suhl, Langenbach, Sachsenbrunn, Ehrenberg, Goldlauter.
Go to the regional travel overview: Hildburghausen-Suhl.
