The best road cycling routes around Steinbach am Wald

At the Schildwiese rest stop, there is a very special piece of Rennsteig history: a small customs house that is reminiscent of the former division of Germany. It was created by Günther Schmidt from Spechtsbrunn. With a lot of humor, he has designed a place here that recalls the time when the Rennsteig was actually divided by the border. Today, you can hike here without any passport control.

At the Nature Park Information Center „Kalte Küche“ on the Rennsteig, not only three nature parks meet, but also the three districts of Sonneberg, Kronach and Saalfeld/Rudolstadt. Here you will find information about the landscape, crafts and German-German history, as well as numerous free hiking maps. If you need a break, you can refresh yourself at the Rennsteig snack bar with small meals, drinks, coffee and cake. Opening hours: April to October: Tuesday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm, Saturday and Sunday 11 am - 4 pm. November to March: Tuesday to Friday 10 am - 3:30 pm. Monday is a rest day.

During the Rennsteig Church Day on June 20, 2009, the memorial at Schildwiese was inaugurated. The metal cross, over four meters high, was designed by the builders from original parts of the old border fence. In front of it, a plaque on a stone block commemorates the people who died in this section of the inner-German border, and all victims of the wall and barbed wire during the German division.

The "Zollhaus" at the Rennsteig border monument is not a restored historical building. The hut was erected and equipped in autumn 2016 by the Frankenwaldverein Kleintettau. It is intended to commemorate the vibrant customs history of this border region and the era of German division. The monument also includes a historical border stone and two posts with the coats of arms of the Free State of Bavaria and the district of Kronach on one side, and the Free State of Thuringia and the district of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt on the other.

Directly on the Rennsteig, this open-air sculpture park offers a successful combination of nature, regional culture, and modern art. Along the path, regional artists Judith Franke, Walter Busch, and Michael Steigerwald present impressive wooden sculptures that reflect the history and craft tradition of the Frankenwald. Fairy tale and fantasy figures, as well as socially critical works, can also be seen. The park is a popular photo motif.

On the island of the roundabout stands the impressive, approximately eight-meter-high glass obelisk. It is not only a landmark for the traditional glass industry in the Franconian Forest, but also marks the great watershed between the Rhine and the Elbe directly on the Rennsteig. After dark, the obelisk is illuminated from within and shines as a blue column of light.

The historic customs house on the border between Bavaria and Thuringia near Kleintettau (Markt Tettau) is a reconstructed historic customs station. It is located directly on the legendary Rennsteig hiking trail on the so-called Schildwiese. Today, the small building serves as a historical site and border memorial, commemorating the decades-long inner-German division.

Crisp climb on great asphalt and hardly any traffic, especially in the after-work hours.