Bike and hiking tour - Unstrut attracts with wine knowledge

Saturday, 24 April 2021 11:02
Written by Portal Editor

On the total of 13 kilometers between Laucha and Freyburg an der Unstrut, there are 26 display boards that provide informative knowledge about the region, the tradition of viticulture and the grape varieties that are indigenous and thrive here for the inclined reader on his hike or bike tour.

There are, for example, panels on the subjects of “A year in the vineyard”, “The reds on Saale and Unstrut” or “From the grape to the bottle”. There are also five child-friendly information boards between Weischütz and Zeddenbach so that the younger hikers can also learn something.

Coming from Eckardtsberga / Bad Kösen, we first followed the course of the Saale, then drove along the ridge with its vineyards towards Freyburg, where we came across the wine route below Neuenburg Castle.

Relaxed tour with gentle climbing

With an average fast walking pace, the wine trail can be walked in 2.5 to 3 hours, by bike it is just under an hour of pure travel time. Of course, a whole day can be planned for this, especially if there are children. Along the Unstrut there are numerous meadows that invite you to have a picnic or to play. Initially, the path leads along the course of the river Unstrut and then in Freyburg becomes a circular route with six stations of the nature trail alone. Including, for example, Neuenburg, which, in addition to the wine museum, also offers a spectacular view of the surrounding landscape.

In addition to the informative stations, hikers and cyclists can also enjoy the culinary highlights along the route. Numerous ostrich taverns and dining facilities invite you to linger. Wine tastings of the regional wines are also possible, for example at the Freyburg winegrowers' association. If you want to end the day on the Unstrut in a relaxed way, you can spend the night in the vineyards, for example in the Berghotel Edelacker or on the way on a campsite.

All facts at a glance:

Route: Laucha to Freyburg (Unstrut)
Length: around 13 km
Stations: 26
Duration: about 2.5 hours on foot
Profile: family-friendly; easy, natural expansion; Ascent to Neuchâtel Castle, moderately difficult; only conditionally suitable for bicycles

Other routes in the Saale-Unstrut region

The 60 km long Saale-Unstrut Wine Road runs through the wine-growing region. From Memleben it leads along Unstrut and Saale to Bad Sulza in the southwest.

Around Höhnstedt near Halle, another wine route invites you to a 20-kilometer tour and connects Zappendorf with Unterrissdorf under the name “Mansfeld Lakes”. The “White Elster” wine route, which is also 20 kilometers long, leads from Wetterzeube to the Posa Monastery in Zeitz. All three are assigned to the Saale-Unstrut wine-growing region.

The history of viticulture on the Saale and Unstrut is easiest for tourists to experience north of Karsdorf and southeast of Freyburg.

The Kathertsche vineyard near Karsdorf covers only a vineyard area of 5000 m² (belonging to the vineyard location "Karsdorfer Hohe Gräte"), but there are still 150-year-old vines, with rare grape varieties, and a species-rich flora and fauna. It is adjacent to areas with dry grass, fallow land, seams and trees. The small area can be experienced via a nature trail with display boards. This project is supported by the Federal Environment Foundation.

Ducal vineyard southeast of Freyburg

The ducal vineyard on the southeastern outskirts of Freyburg was laid out at the end of the 18th century. Its history can be traced back to the tax collector Gottlieb Barthel, who had the mountain expanded in 1774. The vineyard house with its rococo interior, which has been preserved to this day, was also built. The baroque vineyard is a characteristic example of small-scale terraced vineyards. Its appearance has hardly changed since the 18th century.

The land around Saale and Unstrut is also famous for its castles, palaces and churches. The southern route of the Romanesque Road leads through the region. The Naumburg Cathedral is one of the most important late Romanesque buildings in Saxony-Anhalt, is a station on the Romanesque Road and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018.

Please read as well:

Zscheiplitz Monastery - a stopover on Unstrut cycle path
Palace complex of Neuenburg near Freyburg on the Unstrut