Ruhla

Nature on the Breitenberg

The GeoRoute 10 is a circular trail approximately 2.4 kilometres long on the 697-metre-high Breitenberg, Ruhla’s highest mountain. As a nature trail, it shares information about fauna, flora and habitats; information boards accompany your discoveries along the route. The circular layout and approximate length give you a useful point of reference when planning a walk during your trip.

Another circular hiking trail around Ruhla offers views of Ruhla, Thal and Kittelsthal. This means you can also combine your stay with a desire to take in the scenery. These nature experiences may be a reason to consider Ruhla as a destination when choosing a holiday apartment there; the Breitenberg is a clearly identifiable landmark to help with your planning.

Winter sports and cycling

The Alte Ruhl winter sports area lies above Ruhla. It has five ski jumps of various sizes and a ski-cross-country technique course that is partly illuminated. Nearby, the Storchswiese cross-country skiing area has trails measuring 2.3 and 5 kilometres. In winter, Ruhla offers around 15 kilometres of ski touring routes and around 10 kilometres of cross-country ski trails.

Cycling can also be a focus in its own right: the cycle route from Ruhla through Thal, Farnroda and Wutha connects the Rennsteig Cycle Route with the Thuringian Towns Chain long-distance cycle route and other cycle routes. If you like to include a cycling route in your trip, this connection offers a concrete starting point for your plans.

Clockmaking town and Bauhaus history

The Watch and Clock Museum Ruhla tells the story of Ruhla’s clockmaking industry, spanning from its beginnings in 1862 to the present day. The exhibition features more than 1,300 clocks, 35 machines and 50 information boards. These figures convey the variety of objects on display and make the museum a particularly tangible way to explore local industrial history.

Next to the Ruhla Cultural Centre is the Clock Cube. It displays the former 160-year-old clock mechanism from the tower clock at St. Concordia. Three former clockmakers completely restored the mechanism in their spare time. The focus is therefore not only on the clock itself, but also on the work that brought this historic object back to life.

Another perspective on the town’s history can be found in the Bauhaus ensemble, built between 1926 and 1928 to designs by Bauhaus architect Thilo Schoder (1888–1979). It comprised social housing, a town café, a consumer cooperative and a playground. The apartments generally had two rooms, a kitchen and a toilet. On the top floor, each stairwell had a shared bathroom, whose use was regulated by a bathing schedule. Today, the building is listed. These details show how architecture and everyday life at the time were intertwined in this ensemble.

Discoveries around the market square

The Ruhla Nature Park, Geopark and Tourist Information Centre is located in a renovated half-timbered building on the market square. Its exhibition covers the town’s historical development, settlement, crafts and geology. It also features an adventure cave, a model of a grinding mill and a rock puzzle. Here you can explore nature and local history in different ways, from geological topics to local crafts.

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Ruhla, start by choosing according to the character of your trip: nature trails and circular hikes, clockmaking and Bauhaus history, winter sports or cycling each offer a different focus. Ruhla brings together culture and outdoor activities, so you do not have to limit yourself to just one of these interests.

Discover more local pages: Hallungen, Bischofroda, Schleid, Wiesenthal, Wutha-Farnroda, Klings, Witzelroda, Hörselberg-Hainich.

For the broader travel overview: Wartburg.