Hohenfelden: Village Church and Open-Air Museum

St. Burkhard: Building history in several stages

Hohenfelden’s chancel-tower church of St. Burkhard is thought to date back to a Romanesque predecessor building, which was remodelled in the 15th century. Another important stage followed a village fire: the church was rebuilt in its present form in 1810. This design includes a wooden barrel vault and two galleries. The furnishings also make a striking impression: the wooden pulpit altar and wooden baptismal font are richly decorated.

The history of the building cannot be reduced to a single construction phase. Its presumed Romanesque origins, remodelling in the 15th century and reconstruction after the fire tell the story of different periods. Those interested in cultural history will find here a clear counterpart to the themes of the open-air museum: one focuses on a single church building, its development and furnishings; the other on the material culture of rural life across an entire region.

Rural material culture at the open-air museum

The Thuringian Open-Air Museum Hohenfelden presents an extensive collection of objects documenting rural life in central Thuringia. The collection is featured in changing special exhibitions and permanent exhibitions. One focuses on a clearly defined theme: since 1993, the peat barn has housed the permanent exhibition “Shepherds and Sheep Farming in Thuringia.” The range therefore extends from changing exhibition themes to an ongoing exploration of shepherding and sheep farming.

For planning your cultural itinerary, the church offers a clear contrast: St. Burkhard represents architectural history and richly decorated furnishings, while the museum explores rural material culture and its varied themes. If you enjoy including several perspectives on culture in your plans, these two highlights can help guide your choices.

Trails in the Hohenfelden Reservoir experience region

The Hohenfelden Museum Trail follows scenic paths to places and food and drink stops in the Hohenfelden Reservoir experience region. Named stops include Hohenfelden Reservoir and the Thuringian Open-Air Museum Hohenfelden. The route therefore combines landscape views with cultural and culinary destinations. Check the current route and trail conditions when planning your specific outing.

The possible travel interests already differ across the themes described here: the church draws attention to a historic building, the museum to rural artefacts and exhibitions, and the museum trail to paths, places and food and drink stops. You can therefore choose Hohenfelden according to the cultural theme that appeals to you most, or consider the trail as another aspect of your plans.

In the Weimarer Land: more travel ideas

The wider destination of Weimarer Land offers additional options for hiking, cultural and cycling trips. The Thuringian Three Towers Trail is a circular hiking route in southern Weimarer Land, passing through the protected landscape of the Middle Ilm Valley. It connects Paulinen Tower near Bad Berka, Hain Tower in Belvedere Forest near Weimar and Carolinen Tower near Blankenhain. The Goethe Experience Trail offers a different focus: it follows Goethe’s route to Charlotte von Stein, connects Weimar and Großkochberg, and has twelve experience stops exploring nature and culture. The landmarks mentioned distinguish the two routes: one focuses on towers and protected landscapes, the other on Goethe’s route and its experience stops.

Weimarer Land is also described as a destination for cycling trips: cycle routes between Weimar, Apolda and Bad Sulza combine nature, cultural history and regional cuisine, and are suitable for multi-day cycling tours. Those looking for an additional culinary focus can find further options at the Thuringian Dumpling Museum: seminars or training sessions for up to 80 people can be booked year-round. At the dumpling cooking school and potato pancake school, you can prepare Thuringian classics; these experiences depend on booking and dates.

When searching for a holiday apartment, it helps to decide on your preferred focus first. If you want to centre your trip on Hohenfelden’s church, open-air museum and museum trail, base your choice on this travel profile. If you also plan to explore hiking, cycling or culinary experiences in Weimarer Land, take these regional interests into account when choosing accommodation and plan your journeys to the places you want to visit separately.

Discover more destinations: Bad Sulza, Apolda, Weimar, Berlstedt, Ilmtal-Weinstraße, Kleinschwabhausen, Magdala, Lehnstedt

Return to the regional travel overview: Weimarer Land.