Betteleiche Path

From Obergut into the Beech Forest

In Kammerforst, first mentioned in the year 860, timber-framed houses are closely packed along the road to Obergut. In Obergut, a timber-framed building from the 16th century, there is one of the four National Park Information centers with the exhibition "Forest in Transition," which is definitely worth a visit. Here, hikers will also always meet a ranger who can answer all questions about the National Park.

From Obergut, go uphill, take the next street to the left and then turn right onto Reckenbühlstraße, which leads slightly uphill past orchards to the forest edge. Here the path turns left and continues along a small larch forest into the Bechstedter Grund, which is named after the abandoned village site of Bechstedt east of Kammerforst, deserted since 1506.

The hiker now briefly follows the Grund into the forest. After a few hundred meters, the path winds left uphill into the National Park. Slowly leading downhill again, the forest scenery changes almost imperceptibly from beech forest to ravine forest, characterized by ash and maple.

Ravine forests are typical for the many dry valleys of the Hainich, which only carry water a few days a year. In the tree layer, ash and maples have replaced the beech. Early bloomers form colorful carpets on the valley floor – the color palette ranges from the white of spring snowflakes and wood anemones to the reddish-violet of hollow Corydalis and the blue of liverleaf to the yellow of lesser celandine, wood stars, yellow windflower, and tall cowslip.

Through the Thamsbrücker Grund

Along the Thamsbrücker Grund, boundary stones with the following engraved letter sequences can be found: THB for Thamsbrück, vH for "von Hopfgarten," the former owners of Ihlefeld, and GF for the municipality of Flarchheim. To the right, a massive wooden staircase leads uphill to the Breiten Weg (part of the "Balance Beam Path"). Here, the hiker turns left and reaches the structurally rich deciduous forests to the Betteleiche.

Betteleiche Around the Betteleiche, which Hermann Gutbier already described in 1894, a legend has grown: In earlier times, locals and passers-by left donations and petitions for the monks of the Ihlefeld hermitage at this oak. To protect the donations from the weather, the monks carved a box-shaped hollow into the trunk of the tree. Through ongoing weathering, the oak gradually took on its shape.

From the Betteleiche, the view opens to extensively used meadows, overgrown fruit trees, and, on closer inspection, overgrown settlement remains – the legendary ghost town of Ihlefeld.

Ihlefeld

The history of Ihlefeld begins around 1110 – the Brotherhood of Saint Anthony was given a forest area where monks built the hermitage "Eilfelden." Soon, this played an important role as "Walpert," a pilgrimage site. In 1443, the hermitage was acquired by the St. Catherine's Monastery Eisenach and mainly used as an economic estate. Reformation and Peasants' War ended religious life in the Hainich. Ihlefeld then came into the possession of the von Hopfgarten family as a fiefdom. In 1964, due to the establishment of the Weberstedt military training area, the buildings of Ihlefeld were demolished. In 1995, a shelter was built on the cellar vault of a former forester's house, which is today the Ihlefeld shelter.

Iron Hand

The broad road continues past the Ihlefeld Cross on the left in the forest, the oldest field monument in the Hainich, to the intersection with the "Iron Hand." Here, the hiker initially follows the ring finger direction to Craula - Gotha (straight ahead).

The Iron Hand was already mentioned in the Langensalza office book in 1554. The uniquely bent fingers of the forged artwork point to different places in and around the Hainich. The original Iron Hand is located in Mülverstedt.

After about 250 m, the Betteleiche path turns left onto the Triftchaussee, from which you turn left again onto the reforestation areas of the former Weberstedt military training area.

Succession

Succession in the Hainich means development into mixed deciduous forest. After the end of military use and sheep grazing, succession can now be observed on the former shooting ranges from the dense grass stage with thistles, teasels, chicory, and St. John's wort on the roadside through the gradually denser shrub stage of blackthorn and roses to the young ash forest.

Before reaching the "Am Zollgarten" hiking parking lot, a species-rich forest edge has developed on the left. From the parking lot, you can enjoy an impressive view over the Thuringian Basin.

A paved road leads back to Kammerforst.