Ziegenrück

Ziegenrück
Coat of arms of Ziegenrück Coat of arms
Ziegenrück
Location of Ziegenrück within Saale-Orla-Kreis district 250px
Coordinates:
Country	Germany
State	Thuringia
District	Saale-Orla-Kreis
Municipal assoc.	Ranis-Ziegenrück
Government
• Mayor	Horst Maschke
Area
• Total	8.24 km2 (3.18 sq mi)
Population (2014-12-31)
• Total	677
• Density	82/km2 (210/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	07924
Dialling codes	036483
Vehicle registration	SOK
Website	www.ziegenrueck.de

Ziegenrück is a town in the Saale-Orla-Kreis district, in southern Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Saale, 22 km east of Saalfeld, and 35 km south of Jena.

Ziegenrück is Germany's 5th smallest town with currently about 700+ inhabitants.

Tourism

Ziegenrück is primarily a tourist destination with several hotels and guesthouses located in the town and an annual overnight visitor count of more than 35,000 visitors per year. The many hiking paths around the area offer the tourist many spectacular views of the Saale Valley. The town is also popular with mountain biking enthusiasts and canoeing is also a popular pastime.

Also a popular activity in Ziegenrück is the rental of Paddleboats and Rowboats, which can be rented right at the Saalepromenade.

There is also a campground in Ziegenrück, the "Nature Camping Plothental" for visitors who prefer camping over hotels.

Culture

The Waterpower Museum (Wasserkraftmuseum) in Ziegenrück is the only one of its kind in Germany and visitors get to learn more about how electricity is generated from the Saale river. There is also a cultural center called the "Poetenstube" (the Poet's corner) and an art gallery, specializing in photographic art from around the area and beyond. The Treffpunkt Foto Galerie is located at the Platz der Jugend 1a, across from Treffpunkt Park, a cozy park in the center of town, which is also the town's free Wifi hotspot.

Events

The most popular events in Ziegenrück are the annual Promenadenfest that takes place every year in August and also the annual Bergrennen, an uphill timed race event for classic and vintage cars. Twice yearly, there is also a "Wandertag", a guided hike through the area surrounding Ziegenrück.

There are also regularly scheduled literary and poetry readings at the Poetenstube, special photographic exhibits at the Treffpunkt Foto Galerie and exhibits at the Wasserkraftmuseum. A full listing of events can be found in the official events calendar section of the official website of the town at ziegenrueck.de

Weblinks

• The Treffpunkt Gallery Website
• Cultural Center Poetenstube
• Information about Ziegenrück in English
• Wasserkraftmuseum Ziegenrück