Naturpark Thüringer Schiefergebirge/Obere Saale - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Burgk Castle on the River Saale is the oldest and largest castle complex in the Thuringian Upper Region and is considered not only one of Thuringia's major cultural monuments but also one of Germany's most beautiful castles. It lies on an exposed site on a rock plateau above the village of Burgkhammer and the eponymous reservoir on a bend in the Saale.

The Zeulenroda dam was built from 1968 to 1975 and is colloquially known as the Zeulenrodaer Meer . It is operated by the Thuringian long-distance water supply . The inauguration was in 1977. It is dammed by a 307 m long and almost 35 m high rock embankment made of diabase bulk material. An inclined clay plug as an inner seal, which is up to 12 m thick and extends 5.5 m into the subsoil, seals the around 360,000 m³ of bulk material.

The Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes are colorful caves full of stalactites and stalagmites. Once a slate mining pit known as Jeremias luck, the beautiful grottoes were declared the “most colorful grottoes of the world” by the Guinness Book of Records. They have long been famous for their countless colorful mineral formations

The Drachenhöhle Syrau is a stalactite cave in Syrau in Saxony. It invites you into the subterranean world of bizarre rock shapes. Quarry master Ludwig Undeutsch discovered the cave by chance in 1928 while working on the Syrau limestone quarry. The 15 meter deep stalactite cave offers visitors the opportunity to marvel at fascinating rock and clay formations - a special feature of the roof cave - as well as extraordinary sintered forms during a 40-minute tour.

Leuchtenburg Castle towers 400 meters high above the valley, visible from far afield. This castle complex is almost 1000 years old and here you can feel the breath of history and discover internationally renowned architecture. it currently houses the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance. It was once home to the Leuchtenberg Gallery on the first floor.

Heidecksburg Palace is the former residence of the princes of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in Thuringia Rudolstadt and lies, the cityscape dominant, some 60 meters above the old town. Today the Thuringian State Museum Heidecksburg and the Thuringian State Archives Rudolstadt are housed in the castle.