Breitungen/Werra: Lakes, Views and Culture

Breitungen/Werra offers nature experiences around the Breitunger Lakes and Pleß, as well as insights into rural customs and church history. When choosing a hotel in Breitungen/Werra, you can consider whether you would like your stay to focus more on nature or culture.

Nature at the Breitunger Lakes and on Pleß

The Breitunger Lakes nature reserve has a 3.5-kilometre hiking trail with seating areas. The area is also home to more than 150 bird species. For birdwatchers, the habitat is a focus alongside the walk itself; which birds you see during a visit may vary.

A 20-metre-high viewing platform stands on Pleß. In clear weather, the panoramic view extends, among other places, to the Thuringian Forest, Wartburg Castle near Eisenach, the Hoher Meißner near Kassel, the Hessian Kegelspiel, the Thuringian Rhön, Wasserkuppe, Geba and Dolmar near Meiningen. The view therefore depends on visibility: these destinations are among the possible sights, not a guarantee of distant views at all times.

Cyclists also have a direct connection to the landscape: the Werratal long-distance cycle route follows the road towards Bußhof alongside the Breitunger Lakes area. Check current route conditions before setting off.

Culture in Breitungen/Werra

At the Aktivmuseum – Rural Customs, period-room displays show living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens. There is also a classroom from an earlier era. The rooms give the museum a focus on everyday life and rural living, while the different living areas explore various aspects of this theme.

Hands-on stations in the writing room and the “Bauhütte” invite visitors to explore and try things out. If these activities are important to your plans, confirm their current availability with the museum.

An important feature of St Mary’s Church in Breitungen is the winged altarpiece from 1518, with carvings and paintings based on Albrecht Dürer’s Small Passion. Tours of the church are available on Sundays after the service, at around 11 a.m., and by prior arrangement on request. Arrange a tour in advance rather than assuming you can visit without notice.

Practical information for your stay

The hiking lodge on Pleß has 45 seats and serves light meals and snacks at weekends. The tower and lodge are then run by volunteers from the Breitungen branch of the Rhönklub. As this information applies to weekends and operating details may change, check the latest information before your visit.

Local attractions offer different highlights: the hiking trail and birdlife take centre stage at the Breitunger Lakes, while Pleß offers views and a hiking lodge. The Aktivmuseum and St Mary’s Church complement the nature theme with customs and history. When searching for a hotel, you can already consider which of these highlights you would like to shape your trip.

More highlights in the wider Schmalkalden-Meiningen destination

In the wider Schmalkalden-Meiningen destination, Viba Nougat-Welt in Schmalkalden offers insights into nougat production at a glass-fronted factory. In hands-on confectionery courses, visitors can pour chocolate, decorate nougat and create pralines; course times and booking conditions may change. Also in Schmalkalden is the “Neue Hütte” blast furnace museum. The facility, built in 1835, smelted local iron ore into pig iron using charcoal until 1924. A 45-minute tour covers the history and function of the blast furnace operation. Exhibitions also explore the nearly 1,300-year history of iron and steel goods production in the Schmalkalden region, including the “Schmalkalder Artikel”.

Discover more destinations: Rhönblick, Obermaßfeld-Grimmenthal, Struth-Helmershof, Altersbach, Unterschönau, Zella-Mehlis, Trusetal-Laudenbach, Sülzfeld

Back to the wider travel guide: Schmalkalden-Meiningen.