Hohler Stein (Thal)

The Hohler Stein is a cave in the Thuringian Forest. It sits on the summit of the Schossberg, three kilometres north of Ruhla’s town centre and 500 metres south of Scharfenberg Castle above the district of Thal. The cave was first explored and surveyed in summer 1990 by members of the Thuringian Caves Association’s Wutha-Farnroda group. From Thal a clearly marked hiking trail leads up to the cave in about 300 metres. The roughly 15-metre passage can be walked or crawled by children and teenagers without special equipment. Two entrances give access: the eastern one is reached by a short flight of steps from the path, while the western one opens on the rock face some three to five metres high. Circular hollows in the rock show where a wooden viewing pavilion stood in the late 19th century. It once offered fine views of the nearby castle ruins, though today the growing woodland blocks the sight except in winter. Local legends connect the site with the Venediger, and several tales are told about the caves around Thal and Ruhla.