To the Dornburg Palaces
Enjoy the panoramic views from the SaaleHorizontale hiking trail
Explore the SaaleHorizontale hiking trail on a guided one-day walk to the Dornburg Palaces. The palace gardens are especially worth a visit in June when the roses are in bloom.
Views of the peaks around Jena from Weidenberg hill
We leave the city centre through the surrounding residential districts and climb up a small path. Along the way through the forest and past meadows we encounter enigmatic place names such as Munketal and Eule. We stop for a break at the top of Weidenberg hill, and with some luck we might see some paragliders taking off. The views are good too, across the Gleise valley to Gleisberg hill, Jenzig hill and Hausberg hill with the Fuchsturm tower – the distinctive peaks of the region.
Across Plattenberg hill to the Dornburg Palaces
The path continues through shady forest across Plattenberg hill to Neuengönna, an idyllic little village once known for its winegrowing. We now turn back towards the Saale valley, crossing a small spur where a castle once stood. Passing fields and meadows we reach Dornburg. Here we take time out to enjoy the magnificent palace complex. The setting overlooking the Saale valley is stunning.
The Schlossberg restaurant is perfect for a break. We now make a rocky descent to the Saale valley and onwards to Dornburg train station, where there are hourly trains to Jena.
- ca. 16 km (equates to a duration of 5 hours plus 2 hours for breaks)
