Upper Mill Hetschburg – Rock Castle loop from Kranichfeld

Mountain biking trails

Upper Mill Hetschburg – Rock Castle loop from Kranichfeld

Moderate

4.8

(9)

riders

Upper Mill Hetschburg – Rock Castle loop from Kranichfeld

02:28

36.0km

450m

Mountain biking

Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 3, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 32.5 km for 60 m

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

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12.8 km

Upper Mill Hetschburg

Highlight • Monument

The upper mill was built around 1750 with stones from the Berka castle. Today there are private apartments here.

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14.2 km

A unique cultural monument near Weimar!
"Do you know the castle, dug in mountainous rock, which rises from the valley towering to the sky? Waves of the foot around her, - the pinnacle selects to the pasture for his sheep the shepherd. "Wrote Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to his friend, the cantor and organist Friedrich Heinrich Schütz in Bad Berka in the studbook (weimar reading).

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15.5 km

Buchfart Rock Caves

Highlight • Cave

The Buchfarter Felsenburg, located on the Muschelkalk steep slope of the Ilm, is the only structure of its kind in the Central German region and of particular cultural-historical significance. It is a castle complex of the Counts of Orlamünde. Around the 12th century, 12 chambers of various sizes were carved into the steep rock face in a row over a length of about 110 meters and at a height of 40 meters above the Ilm. The chambers were connected by a slope wall in the Romanesque architectural style. Some wall remnants and a round-arched door are still visible today. The Felsenburg had no military significance in the late Middle Ages. However, it served a long line of counts, dukes, and electors as a fully developed, impregnable refuge castle.

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16.3 km

Rock Castle

Highlight • Castle

A highlight with a rarity. In its heyday, this facility offered the villagers protection from attackers. Unfortunately, the condition is deteriorating with progressive erosion, which is why it is dangerous to see the castle up close. An information board reveals more and if you continue hiking, you can catch nice glimpses of the marvel.

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16.7 km

Pfeiffer's Mill

Highlight • Monument

...a working watermill on the Ilm River, right next to a covered wooden bridge. Rebuilt in 1613, it operated commercially until 1968, and the iron waterwheel was reconstructed in 1982.

Opposite the mill is a great rest area with a small parking space, perfect for soaking up the mill-themed atmosphere of the Ilm Valley and then exploring the surrounding area... ;-)

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16.7 km

Covered Wooden Bridge in Buchfart

Highlight • Bridge

The landmarked covered house bridge from 1816 crosses the Ilm in Buchfart over a length of 43 meters and offers a track width of 3.20 meters. On both sides are narrow walkways for pedestrians. Through the sunken windows you have a beautiful view of the Ilm and a watermill.

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20.3 km

Casparibank - Touring stamp 429

Highlight • Rest Area

Just a few benches. At this point, however, a super cool toboggan run over 2 km into the Ziegental begins!

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32.5 km

Tannroda Castle

Highlight • Castle

Tannroda is located in the Middle Ilmtal at the confluence of the Schwarza and Ilm and today belongs to the town of Bad Berka. The well-preserved and now renovated keep with the castle ruins, the palace and St. Michael's Church greet you from afar - the landmarks of then and now.
In August 2016, the Bähr family from Hanover fell in love with the small, dilapidated castle complex in Tannroda during a visit to Thuringia. She decided to set up a charitable foundation to buy, renovate and sustainably revitalize the idyllically situated historic walls. A usage concept was developed that is intended to offer both locals and guests from near and far the opportunity to participate in the cultural monument.
It is amazing what has been preserved and renewed at the castle (Blue Castle) since then.
Many thanks to the Bähr family

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