Bernshausen: Bernshäuser Kutte and Hiking Trails

You can discover Bernshausen through its distinctive landscape and trails: the Bernshäuser Kutte lies on the edge of the village below the Stoffelskuppe, and the long-distance hiking trail HOCHRHÖNER runs right through the village. The Evangelical St. John’s Church in Bernshausen is also part of the village’s history. These different themes can help you decide whether to focus your holiday more on nature and hiking or on culture.

Sinkhole Lake and Trails in Bernshausen

The Bernshäuser Kutte is a sinkhole lake on the edge of Bernshausen. It is considered the deepest sinkhole lake in southern Thuringia. Its location below the Stoffelskuppe makes it a clearly identifiable feature of the landscape, allowing you to include the area around the village in your travel plans.

A circular trail leads from the Bernshäuser Kutte to the Ecke Salzunger Weg. The long-distance hiking trail HOCHRHÖNER also runs right through Bernshausen. This gives you two different types of trail: a circular route from the Kutte to a named point, and a long-distance trail through the village. If you plan your hikes around these routes, check their current course before setting out.

The Evangelical St. John’s Church in Bernshausen is another well-known feature of the village. Together with the Kutte and the hiking trails, it gives you a concise, tangible picture of Bernshausen: landscape, outdoor activity and a local church building, without the need for an extensive sightseeing itinerary.

Cultural and Nature Attractions in the Wider Destination of Dermbach

The wider destination of Dermbach also offers its own themes to consider when planning your holiday. The Museum of the Thuringian Rhön in Dermbach showcases traditional crafts such as weaving and carving, as well as historic tools, traditional costumes, furniture, agricultural equipment and handicrafts. Its cultural and social history exhibits include the history of the Dermbach administrative district, the Peasants’ War in the Vorderrhön and cork processing in Dermbach. Other points of interest include small industrial businesses along the Feldabahn, built in 1880; the Feldabahn narrow-gauge railway; the legend of Rhönpaulus; and the 1866 battles between Prussia and Bavaria in the Dermbach area.

The area’s architectural history can also be seen in a range of examples. The Evangelical church on Kirchberg in Dermbach is dedicated to the Holy Trinity and was built in 1714 in the Peasant Baroque style on the foundations of an earlier church. Schloss Dermbach was built in 1707 by Adalbert von Schleifras, Prince-Abbot of Fulda. There, three plain Baroque-style buildings enclose a large rectangular courtyard. The Catholic parish office in Dermbach is housed in a former Franciscan monastery dating from 1730/31. Dermbach is also home to the smallest half-timbered church in southern Thuringia, which dates from 1677.

Dermbach also offers several ways to explore nature. The Ibengarten, a yew forest, lies above Glattbach, a district of Dermbach. The Rhönpaulus-Wald Ibengarten Experience Trail is seven kilometres long from Dermbach and two kilometres from Glattbach, each distance referring to the outward journey. The return route follows the same path down the Neuberg. For decades, the church in Neidhartshausen has been home to a maternity roost of greater mouse-eared bats; this protected roost was included in the European Natura 2000 network in 2008. The Bat Trail leads from Neidhartshausen to Zella, a district of Dermbach.

When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to be clear about what you want to focus on: should Bernshausen, with the Kutte and the trails running through the village, be at the heart of your stay, or would you also like to include the cultural and nature attractions of the wider destination of Dermbach? Considering these locations separately can help you choose a holiday apartment that better matches the experiences you want to shape your trip.

For the wider travel overview: Urnshausen.