Buttlar: Themed Trails, Apple Varieties and Church Art

Two Trails, Two Perspectives

The “Rediscovering the Old” themed hiking trail starts in the centre of Buttlar. Its special appeal lies in the way it combines culture and fruit growing: alongside historic monuments, there is an apple tree educational trail featuring old, regional and, in some cases, almost forgotten varieties of apple. This means you can focus not only on historical landmarks, but also on the diversity of traditional apple varieties. If you like combining different themes on a trip, this trail brings both together.

The “Sängerwiese” nature trail focuses on something different. It runs from Buttlar to Bermbach, along the southern slopes of Michelsberg, Kleiner Langer Berg and Wachkoppe. The trail’s origins are also part of its history: the school’s nature conservation group in Buttlar laid it out between 1975 and 1978, and it was extensively redesigned from 1995 to 1997. These dates give the trail its own historical dimension, alongside its route through the landscape.

The two trails are easy to distinguish according to your preferred travel theme: “Rediscovering the Old” combines monuments and apple varieties, while the “Sängerwiese” brings together a nature trail, a connection between villages and its own history. This gives you different starting points when planning your day, without the two trails having to be alike.

Church Art with a Precise Date

A distinctive cultural highlight in Buttlar is the altar in the Church of the Nativity of Mary. It dates from 1712 and is the work of the sculptor Johann Neudecker the Elder. Its precise date and attribution give the altar a clear place in the town’s history. If you are interested in historic art as well as landscapes and trails, you can include this in your own explorations.

More Things to Explore in the Wartburg District

Beyond Buttlar, the wider destination of the Wartburg District offers more to explore for those interested in culture and nature. More than 830 years old, Creuzburg Castle is one of Germany’s larger Romanesque castle complexes, with a curtain wall measuring over 340 metres in circumference and an enclosed area of 7,400 square metres. Schloss Altenstein Park has around 20 kilometres of paths, including a 4.3-kilometre circular walking trail. These examples offer a distinct contrast: castle architecture and parkland trails take centre stage here, while Buttlar has its own highlights in its themed trails and church altar.

Museums and memorial sites also broaden the region’s range of themes. The Werratal Museum in Gerstungen Castle covers the region’s history across 22 exhibition rooms and brings traditional crafts to life. The Point Alpha Memorial is an authentic Cold War site; a permanent exhibition in the House on the Border explores the history of the division of Germany. If you would also like to see historic buildings in miniature, the mini-a-thür miniature park in Ruhla has more than 100 detailed models of historic buildings from Thuringia.

Other excursion interests lead to unique landscapes and attractions in the Wartburg District: the Merkers Adventure Mine is home, 800 metres underground, to the Crystal Grotto, a geotope described as unique in the world. Bad Liebenstein Zoo is home to more than 260 animals, some of which can be petted and fed. These regional options add more themes to your trip planning, while the choice of experiences is entirely yours.

Choose Your Accommodation Based on Your Travel Interests

Consider whether you would mainly like to explore the trail with its monuments and old apple varieties, the nature trail and its history, or both. If you also plan to visit other places in the Wartburg District, its castles, museums and nature experiences can broaden the focus of your trip. Looking for a holiday apartment in Buttlar and planning your trip around the themes you want to explore are two separate decisions: first choose the right place to stay, then organise your experiences according to your own interests.

Timetable and passenger information is available for the Wartburg region’s bus services, hiking buses, buses with bike trailers and rail services. If you plan to use public transport for an excursion, check the timetables for your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Kaltenlengsfeld, Urnshausen, Tiefenort, Ruhla, Witzelroda, Treffurt, Bad Liebenstein, Stadtlengsfeld.

Back to the regional travel guide: Wartburg.