Has anyone watched a television program where one of the characters was played by a different person? Like anyone’s not gonna notice? That’s how I feel when bureaucratic politicians change the names of towns — and that’s just what they did on 12/1/2011 to the Collective Municipality of Hörsel — known simply these days as just Hörsel.
The town itself is named for the river that flows alongside it, located just west of Gotha in central Thuringia. It’s considered to be a rural community, but you will find some outstanding hidden gems if you’re willing to look for them. Thankfully you have me to do all the legwork — and tell you exactly where things are.
There are 10 villages to now Hörsel, and it seems like each one has its own village church. The one in Aspach, with its white tower and black steeple, dates back more than 500 years. I love the village church in Ebenheim, just for its amazing stonework. And in Fröttstädt, the Church of the Redeemer is the town’s landmark — despite only being built in 1903.
If you want a Baroque church, then it’s off to Laucha to see St. Kilian’s (built 1720), and the Marienkirche in Mechterstädt (built 1716) is stunning from the outside alone with its tall tower and steeple. However, and that’s a mighty big however, the best of them all is the Church of St. Michaeli, a medieval original that’s got a Baroque pulpit — but whose stone tower is capped with a gorgeous black steeple.
Wait, I take that back… the Church of St. John in Trügleben is the best — whose square tower and crumbly look is best appreciated from a southern vantage point. Trust me, I know these things.
Now I’m not going to drag you all the way to this part of Thuringia to see some old churches. You’re more than welcome to join in all the fun during one of its festivals. Let’s see… there’s a Village Festival in Teutleben, along with the Maypole celebrations, too. Trügleben is known for its Fall Festival, while Weingarten has both an Easter bonfire and Church Festival, and Hörselgau has its own Harvest Festival.
Even though crazy German politicians have nothing better to do than confuse the general public with changing town names — one thing you can’t ever get confused about is how great places like Hörsel truly are. Agreed? ;-)