Kaltennordheim

Kaltennordheim is a small city in the mountains of the „Rhoen“ with a castle, an old market place with a pharmacy, the „Kilianskirche“- a church from the 14th century and a department place with a 500 years old linden tree.
In its first mention in 795 it belongs to the abbey Fulda. Kaltennordheim got the municipal law from Lord von Henneberg in 1562. During the Thirty Years’ War the castle and the main part of the city was burned down.
From 1700 until 1900 brown coal was digested in the north west of the city. In 1780 Johann Wolfgang Goethe visited Kaltennordheim and completed some geological tasks in the closer surroundings.
The old cultivated landscape of the “Rhoen” with its hill moor, basalt fields and specious meadows is known as UNESCO biosphere reserve Rhoen since 1991. 48.000 hectare of the biosphere reserve are situated in the state of Thuringia and offer a perfect natural habitate for rare plant and animal species.
The integral nature reserve of Kaltennordheim offers 60 kilometers hiking trails und a nature trail. From the mountain “Umpfen” visitors have a great view at the Rhoen and the four “cold cities”: Kaltensundheim, -westheim, - nordheim and – ostheim.