Kahla: Town History and the Saale Cycle Path

Local history and guided visits

The Metzner House combines a long history with its current use as a town museum. If you are interested in Kahla’s development, you can include this historic site in your plans as a tangible starting point.

Guided tours at Walpersberg near Kahla explain and show the REIMAHG at the historic site, surviving tunnel entrances, remnants of infrastructure, and traces of former camps and work areas. Check the provider’s current booking information before visiting. A guided tour of Kahla is possible by prior arrangement.

Cycling, hiking and nature

The fifth stage of the Saale Cycle Path leads to Kahla. This gives you a specific cycling connection to include in your travel plans; check the current route information before setting off. Hiking and cycling are also among the activities available in the wider Saale-Holzland destination, though on different routes.

The “Dohlenstein and Pfaffenberg” FFH area lies near Kahla. It covers 88.99 hectares and is located south of Jena; Kahla, including the district of Löbschütz, lies to its west and southwest.

The wider Saale-Holzland destination

The Saale Cycle Path runs north to south along the Saale through the Saale-Holzland district. The SaaleHorizontale quality hiking trail also follows the Saale through the district in the same direction. The distinction is clear when choosing what you are interested in: cycling is the focus here, hiking there. Well-maintained hiking routes also run through the Zeitzgrund.

The Holzland is a hilly landscape with extensive woodland. Canoeing and inflatable-boat trips are among the most popular outdoor activities in the Saale-Holzland district.

Castles, museums and regional history

The Dornburg Castles comprise an ensemble of three castles from different architectural periods. The Bauhaus Workshop Museum Dornburg is located in the former Bauhaus ceramics workshop in the Marstall building of the Dornburg castle complex. This offers two different perspectives on the site: castle architecture and its former use as a workshop.

In Schkölen, the water castle is a castle complex with a museum and changing exhibitions. The Bürgel Ceramics Museum, meanwhile, dedicates its permanent exhibition to the history of Bürgel’s pottery craft, from its beginnings in the mid-17th century to the present day. An audio guide leads visitors to 22 stops in Bürgel and Thalbürgel; check availability before your trip.

Historic sites and local history are also part of the wider Saale-Holzland area: Hummelshain Hunting Lodge was a hunting residence of the Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg. Camburg Castle was first mentioned in official records in 1166; today, only its more than 30-metre-high keep remains. The Camburg Town Museum covers a broad span of time, from Palaeolithic hand axes to tools and weapons from various cultural groups, and the town’s more recent history. An exhibition on local history is housed in the Kemenate in Orlamünde.

Choose the right place to search

When looking for a holiday apartment, you can start by deciding what you want to focus on during your trip: is Kahla of interest because of its town museum, a guided tour of the town available by prior arrangement, or the Saale Cycle Path stage that leads to Kahla? Or are you mainly interested in the wooded landscape and hiking trails, or in a particular museum in the wider Saale-Holzland area? This distinction can help you choose accommodation that suits the things you want to experience on your trip.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Neuengönna, Rothenstein, Heideland, Hermsdorf, Renthendorf, Golmsdorf, Waltersdorf, Mörsdorf

Go to the wider travel overview: Saale-Holzland.