Saalburg-Ebersdorf: Water, Park and History
Accommodation in Saalburg-Ebersdorf
Saalburg-Ebersdorf combines the Bleiloch Reservoir with the historic Ebersdorf Palace Park and cultural heritage sites in Saalburg and Friesau. This offers several different focal points for your stay: water, garden design, tree knowledge and church history. When choosing a holiday apartment, consider which places and activities you would like to focus on.
File:Bleilochstausee in Saalburg-Ebersdorf 2H1A3627WI.jpg
Photo: Kora27 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Waterways and excursions on the Bleiloch Reservoir
The Bleiloch Reservoir is 28 kilometres long and has a water volume of 215 million cubic metres. Its length and volume show two different dimensions of this body of water. One route of the Saaletal cable ferry service runs from the mooring in Saalburg to the dam; another travels via Zoppoten, Heinrichstein and Saaldorf to Harra. Before planning, check the timetable and whether the service is currently operating if you would like to include a trip in your day.
The hiking taxi offers flexible transfers along the Bleiloch Reservoir and around the Thuringian Sea, daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., in cooperation with four regional taxi companies. Check current operating hours and booking options before travelling. This makes it possible to combine a focus on the water with specific transfer arrangements, without having to commit to set times for your excursions.
Ebersdorf Palace Park: garden design and tree knowledge
Ebersdorf Palace Park is a 50-hectare landscaped park. Ebersdorf Park is also a monument to landscape and garden design of regional and national significance. Christian Friedrich Schuricht (1753–1832), later Chief Building Director of Saxony, is considered the creator of the expanded palace garden. He also oversaw the remodelling of the palace from 1788 to 1791. The park therefore offers a distinct perspective on the history of garden and landscape design.
Since spring 2016, visitors to the tree trail in the palace park have been able to learn about the trees and the special features of the woody species growing there. Small signs display photos and the names of the tree species, as well as QR codes that visitors can scan with a smartphone to access additional information. Four ninth-grade students from the secondary school in Bad Lobenstein developed and created the trail as a project. Check the current condition of the tree trail before your visit.
The park’s history also includes a dated event: the coffins of the last Prince Reuss-Schleiz, his wife and two sons were transferred from Schleiz Mountain Church to Ebersdorf and laid to rest in crypts in the park on 6 August 1931. This historical connection complements the park’s design with a specific family history.
Churches and historic works of art
St Mary’s Church in Saalburg was founded between 1206 and 1223 and is considered one of the oldest churches in the surrounding area. St Leonhard’s Church in Friesau houses a communion chalice from 1509, a work by Andreas Eckart, a goldsmith from Schleiz. The two sites highlight different periods: Saalburg focuses on the church’s early founding, while Friesau features a precisely dated work of goldsmithing.
More topics in the wider Saale-Orla destination
In the wider Saale-Orla destination, the Saale, with its approximately 80-kilometre-long Saale Cascade of five reservoirs, forms Europe’s largest contiguous reservoir area, the Thuringian Sea. The Bleiloch Reservoir is considered Germany’s largest reservoir. This landscape perspective complements Saalburg-Ebersdorf’s own water and park themes.
A cultural highlight in Saale-Orla is Schloss Burgk Museum, with historic living and exhibition rooms, precious interiors, collections and exhibitions. Its bookplate collection comprises more than 200,000 sheets and is the museum’s largest specialist collection. Concerts and festivals are also held there; if you would like an event to shape your stay, check the specific date.
Other regional attractions range from the more than 120 kilometres of signposted hiking trails in Wurzbach to Wysburg near Weisbach, an archaeological excavation site at an old robber baron’s castle and an excursion destination. The Heinrichshütte foundry houses Europe’s largest and most powerful steam engine. Heinrichshütte is an interactive museum that welcomes families with children as well as children from nurseries and schools.
When looking for a holiday apartment, your preferred focus can be a helpful guide: would you mainly like to experience the reservoir, palace park and local history, or also include other destinations in the wider Saale-Orla area? First decide which excursions matter to you, then check the specific routes before booking.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Langenorla, Gahma, Bad Lobenstein, Blankenstein, Peuschen, Kospoda, Dittersdorf, Keila.
To the wider travel overview: Saale-Orla.
