The best city hikes and walks around Schmalkalden

The Altmarkt forms the center of the historic old town of Schmalkalden.

The historic old town of Schmalkalden enchants with its fairytale-like centre full of colourful half-timbered houses, a magnificent castle and many other sights – and all around, extensive hiking and cycling trails stretch out in the Thuringian Forest.

The Siechenteiche area natural monument extends as far as the city park (on Kasseler Straße). Stroll across the water on a wooden boardwalk and discover the flora and fauna. Seating terraces invite you to linger on the banks of the spring pond. In its center, the Siechenrasenquelle springs forth with a discharge of about 80 liters per second and a constant water temperature of 10 to 12 degrees. Until 1965, the women of Schmalkalden used to "bleach" (wash) their laundry in the soft water of the pond here. Accompanied by playgrounds, lawns, tree groups, and grasses, the path leads through the city park into the old town. Quelle: https://www.schmalkalden.com/sehenswert/parks-gaerten/stadtpark

The Schmalkalden town hall is today a complex of three architecturally completely different buildings. To the left stands a historicizing building from 1905 with a green facade. In the middle stands the "Steinerne Kemenate", the original town hall building from 1419, and to the right the northern building with late Gothic elements. The historic Kemenate made history as the founding and meeting place of the Schmalkaldic League (1530-1543). In the foyer, the coats of arms of the League's members can still be found today – as well as an oversized view of Schmalkalden around 1600. Source: https://panoramastreetline.de/altmarkt-rathaus-schmalkalden-deutschland-P15316

In February 1537, Martin Luther (1483-1546) was plagued by kidney stones. It was precisely at this time that the great reformer was confined to his sickbed. He had traveled to Schmalkalden in Thuringia for a meeting of the Schmalkaldic League. It was therefore decided to hold the meeting in the house of Luther's host. The members of the League gathered around his sickbed. The League had been founded in 1531, in the same place, by the Protestant princes and imperial cities against the religious policy of the Catholic emperor. In 1537 - 20 years after Luther's 95 Theses and the associated beginning of the Reformation - the future of faith in Europe was discussed in this charming half-timbered house. Around 1520, the host Balthasar Wilhelm, a good friend of Martin Luther, had the representative building erected in a prime city-center location, right next to the ascent to Wilhelmsburg Castle. Luther was a guest here for almost three weeks in 1537, receiving visitors, preaching, and publishing his famous Schmalkaldic Articles, a kind of confession of faith of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Source: https://www.denkmalschutz.de/denkmal/lutherhaus-lutherplatz-7.html

From here you have a beautiful view of Schmalkalden.

Stamp point 380 for Touringen hikers.

A beautifully located hut with everything you need for a break. Open Saturdays from 11:00 AM. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻