Blankenstein at the confluence of the Saale and Selbitz
Accommodation in Blankenstein
At the confluence of the Saale and Selbitz
The Saale and Selbitz meet in Blankenstein; the town also lies in the southern part of the “Thüringer Schiefergebirge Obere Saale” Nature Park. Its riverside location and connection to the nature park offer two specific points to consider when choosing a destination. If you would like to include scenery and hiking in your travel plans, you can use these features to assess whether Blankenstein suits your plans as a holiday destination. The location makes the town interesting to travellers who base their decision not only on a single excursion destination, but also on the surrounding geography.
A circular route with a clearly stated distance
The circular hiking trail “Grenzgängerweg am Rennsteigbeginn”, also called “Wanderweg Rund um Rosenthal”, was created in 1990 by the Blankenstein branch of the Frankenwaldverein. It is about 16 kilometres long and starts and ends at the Selbitz footbridge in Blankenstein. As a circular route, it differs in form from the trails that lead to Blankenstein. Its length, circular route and named starting and finishing point give you specific details to help plan your hike: you can compare the approximate distance with your holiday plans and consider whether you want to make a single loop the focus of your trip. If you choose a holiday apartment, it may therefore be useful to first decide what role you want this tour to play during your stay.
Four premium hiking trails lead to Blankenstein
Blankenstein is also the endpoint of four premium hiking trails: the Rennsteig, Kammweg, Frankenweg and Fränkischer Gebirgsweg all lead to Blankenstein. Each year, around 15,000 to 20,000 hikers and cyclists come to Blankenstein along these trails or start their runs and hikes here. This offers a different perspective for planning than the Grenzgängerweg: that trail focuses on a single loop, its approximate length and its starting and finishing point at the Selbitz footbridge; the four premium trails, by contrast, are defined by their connection to Blankenstein or by people starting runs and hikes here. You can consider whether to plan a circular hike or include the arrival and starting points of the named trails in your travel plans.
A cultural point of interest
The “Rennsteig und Mee(h)r” museum in Blankenstein opened in 2018 through a partnership between the Zellstoff- und Papierfabrik Rosenthal (ZPR) and the municipality of Rosenthal am Rennsteig. For travellers who would like to choose a holiday destination based not only on scenery and hiking but also on culture, the museum adds another reason to consider Blankenstein. The partnership between the municipality and the pulp and paper mill forms part of the context for its opening. Alongside the riverside location and hiking trails, this adds a cultural point of interest that you can take into account when considering a destination.
Consider Blankenstein as a holiday destination
When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay: would you like to base your trip mainly on the riverside location and nature park, plan a particular circular hike, or include the museum as a cultural point of interest alongside hiking? The premium hiking trails offer a different approach to planning, as they lead to Blankenstein; hikers and cyclists also start their runs and hikes here along these trails. If you are considering Blankenstein as a destination, you can weigh up whether the combination of riverside location, circular hiking trail, other trail connections and museum suits the break you have planned. You can then tailor your search for a holiday apartment in Blankenstein to the features of the town that matter for your stay.
Discover more destinations: Crispendorf, Neundorf, Bad Lobenstein, Moßbach, Dittersdorf, Peuschen, Altengesees, Kospoda.
View the broader travel overview: Saale-Orla.
