The best walks and hikes around Mühlhausen/Thüringen

A different parking lot for a change.

Beautiful old mill building.

It's nice to stroll along here.

The mill was first documented in 1631. In 1679, it was rebuilt and subsequently used as both a tanning mill and a grinding mill. The mill wheel remained until 1958. The building complex still exists today: in 1994, the main building was renovated and converted into residential units. The southern, historic half-timbered building now houses commercial spaces, and a millstone is displayed in front of the building.

The church is the parish church of the Mühlhausen old town and was gifted to the Teutonic Order in 1227. The current building was constructed between 1270 and 1300 as an early Gothic hall church, influenced by French cathedral architecture. It possesses significant art-historical elements such as a rose window, medieval stained glass, a late Gothic carved altar, and tomb slabs of important personalities. After the Reformation, religious expressions changed, and much of the original furnishings were lost. The west towers still date from the predecessor building and house historical bells. The church also developed into an important center for Protestant church music, with a peak in the work of Johann Sebastian Bach in the early 18th century.

From the Hohen Graben, visitors enjoy a beautiful view of the imposing double-towered St. James' Church. Construction of the present-day St. James' Church began around 1280. An inscription, now lost, attributes the imperial figure in the arch of the north portal to Henry VII. Another inscription names 1363 as the year of completion of the church. The motif of the unequal couple is taken up in the impressive tower group completed in 1418. After the Reformation, the church seems to have been used only sporadically. It lost almost all its furnishings in the last century. St. James' Church was extensively renovated from 1992 to 2004 with financial support from the state of Thuringia, the federal-state program "Urban Monument Protection," and the German Foundation for Monument Protection. Since April 2004, St. James' Church has housed the city library with a children's library and a sound library. Interesting for visitors: so-called "Archaeological Windows" provide insights into the church's construction history. Source: https://www.thueringen.info/kultur/muehlhausen-stadtbibliothek-jakobikirche/

The Historic Town Hall in Mühlhausen was built around 1270/80, when the city developed strongly through the expansion of the old and new towns and a city council took over the administration. Symbolically, the town hall was erected between the two parts of the city. The basement with the passage remains from the original building. After a fire, the building was renovated around 1330 and later expanded, resulting in a diverse complex. Particularly significant are the richly decorated rooms with wall and ceiling paintings from several centuries, as well as the historical archive. In the 20th century, further furnishings were added, commemorating the city's history. For centuries, the town hall remained the political center and still serves today as an important venue for events and representation.

The outer Frauentor in Mühlhausen is a preserved part of the medieval city fortifications and is located today on Johannisstraße. It belonged to the outer ring of the city walls and was part of a complex gate system that, together with the inner Frauentor, secured access to the city. This staggered construction served defensive purposes, as attackers had to overcome several gates in succession. The outer Frauentor was presumably built during the expansion of the city fortifications in the 14th century, as Mühlhausen continued to grow and required additional protection. In addition to its military function, it was also an important entrance for merchants and travelers. An important road led through the gate in the direction of the Marienkirche, which also explains the name "Frauentor".