Nature Park and Town Festival Ruhla

Ruhla — Clock Town on the Rennsteig

Ruhla is a small town with around 5,200 inhabitants in the southwestern Wartburg district, located in the Erbstrom valley and directly on the Rennsteig — Germany's famous ridge hiking trail along the crest of the Thuringian Forest. The town is known as the Clock Town: the famous Ruhla watch was manufactured here in the 19th and 20th centuries — one of the best-known watch brands in the GDR. Today, the Ruhla Watch Museum houses this tradition. Another landmark is the Schiller Tower with views over the Thuringian Forest. With the Rennsteig in close proximity and its direct location in the Thuringian Forest Nature Park, Ruhla is a popular starting point for hikes.

A Tradition Since 2002

The Nature Park and Town Festival was launched in 2002 — as a cooperation between the Town of Ruhla, local associations, and the Thuringian Forest Nature Park. The concept was unusual for a town festival: instead of just occupying a market square with a folk festival, the event was also intended to present educational and environmental work. The nature park has presented its work annually ever since: information on forests, wildlife, hiking opportunities, protected areas, and renaturation projects. This mix of folk festival and ecological education makes the Ruhla festival special in the southern Thuringian Forest.

Market, Competition, Dance

The market extends through the town center: stalls with regional crafts, local products, association offerings, food stands. Traditional sports competitions are a firm part of the program: log sawing (two-man sawing with classic lumberjack tradition) and nail hammering (nailing for speed) — a humorous reminiscence of the region's timber industry history. Live bands from the region play on the festival stage. The dance evening on Saturday or Sunday rounds off the program in a convivial manner — all generations dance together.

Wartburg District and Thuringian Forest Nature Park

The Wartburg district is one of the most scenically rich regions in Thuringia — from the Wartburg Castle in Eisenach (UNESCO World Heritage) to the Rennsteig and the Thuringian Forest Nature Park. Ruhla is right in the middle — an ideal location for hiking excursions to the nearby Inselsberg (916 m, the highest mountain in the northern Thuringian Forest), to Liebenstein Castle, or simply along the Rennsteig. Visitors to the Nature Park and Town Festival often combine their visit with a hike in the nature park — an ideal mix of culture and nature, far from the tourist crowds of the larger Thuringian Forest towns.