Crawinkel: Pastureland, Hiking Trails and Local History
Accommodation in Crawinkel
Crawinkel combines open countryside with a local history that spans everything from a historic charter to instrument making. Good conditions for hiking, pastureland and activities related to hang gliding and paragliding offer a variety of ways to enjoy the area. If you’re looking for a holiday apartment, first consider whether trails and nature, air sports or the town’s history will shape your holiday. That way, your choice is guided by your own interests.
Open countryside and active days
Thüringeti is an open pasture landscape for horses and cattle, rich in biodiversity. Good hiking conditions give visitors and active holidaymakers the chance to explore Crawinkel on foot. The pastureland of Agrar Crawinkel enhances the trail network around the holiday destination of Crawinkel for hikers, mountain bikers and riders. This offers different ways to get active: you can choose trails and landscapes to suit your interests, whether you prefer hiking, mountain biking or riding.
Air sports add another distinctive element. Crawinkel offers a hang gliding and paragliding school where you can give it a try. You can enquire about tandem flights by paraglider or hang glider through members of the Crawinkel Air Sports Club; check availability in advance. Agrar GmbH Crawinkel covers an area of 2,300 hectares; excursions and specialist guided tours are offered for various groups. Together, nature, activity and agricultural topics provide different perspectives on the area.
History, craftsmanship and millstones
A charter issued by Landgrave Friedrich of Thuringia named Crawinkel as a town in 1360. The history of St. Mary’s Church goes back even further: the founding of the Chapel of St. Mary is believed to date to around the year 1000. In 1421, Crawinkel’s first church was built on its site, where the present-day church stands. St. Mary’s Church has had its current form since 1758. These milestones give the town’s history a clear timeline, from the presumed origins of the chapel to the church’s present form.
Instrument making is also part of the area’s history. Instrument makers from Crawinkel were known far beyond Thuringia for the quality of their violins and zithers. A special exhibition at the Millstone Carving Museum in Crawinkel is devoted to the Compiègne Salon Carriage. Guided tours on the production of millstones are offered at the Old Mill. Check current dates and access arrangements before visiting.
Choose a holiday apartment to suit your interests
When looking for a holiday apartment in Crawinkel, it helps to compare the activities you want from your holiday. If you enjoy spending time outdoors, you can combine hiking, mountain biking and riding with the open pastureland. For an interest in cultural history, St. Mary’s Church, the instrument-making tradition, the museum and millstone production take centre stage. Air sports and agricultural tours offer further ways to shape your stay around a particular theme. If you’re planning a trip with a range of interests, consider in advance which of these priorities will be the deciding factor in choosing your holiday destination.
In the wider destination of Ohrdruf
Ohrdruf is the wider destination and offers further cultural and natural attractions. The permanent exhibition at Schloss Ehrenstein Museum focuses on Johann Sebastian Bach’s childhood and youth in Ohrdruf from 1695 to 1700. The Tobiashammer was built around 1480 as an iron, wire and scythe hammer mill. For hikers, the 12-kilometre Naturpark-Weg Walter Schütz trail starts at the Ohrdruf Nature Park Gateway and has an elevation gain of around 284 metres. The wider destination of Ohrdruf thus offers further points of interest related to Bach, early technological history and a hiking route described in detail.
Discover more destinations: Ohrdruf, Ballstädt, Apfelstädt, Bienstädt, Schwabhausen, Seebergen, Emsetal, Mühlberg.
View the wider travel guide: Gotha.
