Ilmenau: Trails, Heights and Mining History

Ilmenau combines striking heights, trails connected with Goethe, and traces of mining. This lets you include outdoor activities and historical themes in your holiday plans. When looking for a holiday apartment, it is worth first considering which of these aspects you want to shape your stay.

Kickelhahn: Local Mountain and Landmark

Kickelhahn, Ilmenau’s local mountain, is 861 metres high. Its 21-metre observation tower is one of the city’s landmarks. The mountain and tower give Ilmenau a striking connection to its landscape. If you would like to make heights and scenery the focus of your holiday, Kickelhahn is a specific landmark to consider when planning. Ilmenau’s sites where the history of coin minting and mining comes to life offer a different focus.

Trails for Hiking, Cycling and Winter Days

The 20-kilometre Goethe Hiking Trail connects places associated with Goethe’s work, from Ilmenau to Stützerbach. Here, hiking and a connection to Goethe’s work come together on one route. The Lindenberg Trail Park has three different mountain biking trails. Check current local information before setting out, as facilities can change. You can also include the Ilm Valley Cycle Route in your Ilmenau plans.

There are also routes specifically for winter: numerous ski and winter hiking trails run from Ilmenau to the Rennsteig and from Auerhahn to Kickelhahn. If you are planning a winter trip, check current snow and trail conditions, as these can vary. Route availability is not guaranteed either. The options therefore vary by activity and season, from mountain biking and the Goethe Hiking Trail to seasonal ski and winter hiking trails.

Coin Cellar and Miners’ Chapel

The Coin Cellar is right next to the Old Mint and offers insights into the 16th century. The Miners’ Chapel on Sturmheide offers a different way to explore the past. It lies in the middle of the former Ilmenau copper and silver mining district, below the spoil heap of the former “Gottes Gabe” shaft, and houses an exhibition on Ilmenau’s copper shale mining. These offer different points of interest: insights into the 16th century at the Coin Cellar, and the exhibition and location in the former mining district at the Miners’ Chapel.

Further Perspectives in Ilm District

The wider Ilm District destination also offers additional routes and cultural sites. The Kleinbreitenbach Art Trail is two kilometres long. Works of art adorn the Romanesque fortified church, the cemetery, the church forecourt, the village and the trail at the edge of the village. The trail thus connects several named places with public art.

The cycling routes also offer different points of reference. The Ilm-Rennsteig Cycle Route follows a former railway line from Ilmenau to Großbreitenbach or Neustadt am Rennsteig. It connects the Ilm Valley Cycle Route with the Rennsteig Cycle Route, is almost entirely paved and is signposted as a cycle street. The Ilm Valley Cycle Route is 123 kilometres long in total and has been awarded four stars; 45 kilometres run through the Ilm District. The features listed for each route can help you compare them: the Ilm-Rennsteig Cycle Route’s course, surface and signage, and the Ilm Valley Cycle Route’s total length, section in the Ilm District and certification.

You can tailor your search to the experiences you would like to include in your holiday plans.

Discover more destinations: Kirchheim, Elgersburg, Herschdorf, Frankenhain, Bösleben-Wüllersleben, Elleben, Großbreitenbach, Altenfeld

Go to the wider travel overview: Ilm District.