Castle route - Schmalkalden-Steinbach-Hallenberg

This bike route connects Steinbach-Hallenberg with Schmalkalden. After a short climb from the center of Steinbach-Hallenberg, the path leads past the Arzberg towards Altersbach. In the village, it follows the main street for a short distance and then goes left down past the Altersbach train station. From there, a gravel path leads up a hill. Here you will find a rest area to pause and enjoy the view. From here, the path continues downhill towards Springstille. A paved agricultural road leads past the Hasenhohle. It was expanded into a cultural center in 1971 and is still used for celebrations today. Then it continues through the small village of Springstille, which has a very rural character and has belonged to Schmalkalden since 2018. The Stillegrundradweg starts here and takes you past idyllic meadows and wooded areas along the Stille river to Mittelstille. Past the sports field, it continues parallel to the railway line to Nährestille. The bike path goes past the Nährestille outdoor pool and then across the campus of the Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences. After the university, you cross the "Fachhochschule" level crossing and turn right onto "Lohweg" towards the town center. After passing through the underpass on the right, you reach a junction. Here it is best to cross the street on foot, then you come to the parking lot at the REWE market on Renthofstraße. From here you can already see "Wilhelmsburg Castle." You can take the street up to the castle or directly via the pedestrian path into the town center of Schmalkalden. For the return, you take the same route back to Springstille. Before entering the village, turn right, cross the street, and take the paved path to the right next to the "Gasthaus Zur Hechel" towards the "Springstille sports field." Then always continue straight uphill on Springstiller Straße. This leads you straight to Viernau. It goes downhill again to the main street (Ernst-Thälmann-Straße). Here turn right and continue to the "Bäckerei Scheidig" on the left side. Before the bakery, turn left into Neue Bahnhofstraße. This leads you to the junction "Oberes Rippach" where you turn left. The bike path continues left past the "Rennsteig Werkzeuge" factory and the Hergeser Pond. Here a bench invites you to take a break. Then continue right over the level crossing, past the artificial turf field "Menzarena," and right into "Schutzwiesen." You pass the "Menzarena" on the right side and then ride left up the street "Am Scherzer." After the small pond, a bike path goes left uphill to Herges-Hallenberg. After passing the Herges cemetery on the left, you reach a junction (Dörntal) where you turn left. Before the church, turn right into "Brunnengasse." It curves left and brings you into "Kurze Seite." Here there is another rest area. Then keep right and push your bike over the small bridge on the left and continue along the sidewalk on the right before turning right into "Hammerweg." From here, go straight ahead along "Hergser Wiesen" past the Haseltalhalle and the schools in Haselgrund. Cross the street and follow "Lindenstraße" to "Rasenmühlenweg" where you turn right. At the next junction, turn left into "Hennebergstraße." Follow this until you see the town church of Steinbach-Hallenberg on the left. Cross the street and continue along "Wolffstraße" towards the center.

Touring bike or mountain bike.

Always pay attention to the safety of your bike. The bike path partly runs on public roads. Watch out for other road users and ride prudently!

Especially in hot summer months, always carry some water with you to prevent dehydration. A sunscreen with high SPF is also recommended.

If you arrive via the A71, use the Zella-Mehlis exit. Follow the signs towards Schmalkalden/Steinbach-Hallenberg. After passing through Zella-Mehlis, continue towards Benshausen. At the roundabout, take the first exit towards Viernau. You drive through the village of Viernau and continue straight through the district of Herges-Hallenberg into the center of Steinbach-Hallenberg.

If you want, you can cover part of the route by train. There are 2 train stations in Schmalkalden, as well as 1 station each in Steinbach-Hallenberg, Altersbach, and Viernau. You can find information about departure times here.

Buses also run between Steinbach-Hallenberg and Schmalkalden. Line 448 of Meininger Busbetriebs GmbH runs on weekends as well. You can find the current timetable here.

Parking options in Steinbach-Hallenberg are available at the Festplatz parking lot(Google NAV point) 

Parking options in Schmalkalden are available at the Renthofstraße parking lot.(Google NAV point) 

Tourist Information
Hauptstraße 46
98587 Steinbach-Hallenberg
Phone: 036847/41065
Fax: 036847/41066
E-Mail: gastinfo@steinbach-hallenberg.de