The history of “Romantik Berg- und Jagdhotel Gabelbach” located near Ilmenau in Thuringia goes back to long gone immemorial times much more than most of the visitors would imagine. You could come to this conclusion at least after reading the small and very cryptical booklet “From the chronicles of the Village of Gabelbach” written by the travel book author August Trinius. That is to say that Mr. Trinius, with a twinkle in his eye, wants to tell the gentle reader that Heinrich I. (876-936) allegedly established the Village of Gabelbach on 1 April (!) of the year 933.

The legendary members of the Gabelbach Community, whom August Trinius talked about in such a humorous way, came together in the former forester’s lodge that was located where the hotel is today at that time. This building does not exist any more. Very well-known people were members of the Gabelbach municipality in the old times besides Trinius himself: the poet Friedrich Hofmann (1813-1888), the local senior judge Carl Schwanitz (1823-1903), the poet Joseph Victor von Scheffel (1826-1886) and the poet Rudolf Baumbach (1840-1905). They all were public characters who were able to merge art, common weal, politics and lifestyle in a splendid way. And, as you can imagine, all these men - just like the great Johann Wolfgang von Goethe before - played a big part in contributing to the fame of this lovely spot close to the famous Kickelhahn Mountain and to make known this spot far beyond the boundaries of Thuringia.

A 24 meter observation tower was built at the suggestion of Czarevna Maria Pawlowna and opened to the public in 1855 on top of the Kickelhahn. In addition there is in a small wooden refuge there, called “Goethehäuschen” - “Goethe’s little hut” - where you can find the famous poem “Rambler’s Night Song”, written by master Goethe on September 6, 1780, engraved in a board wall. The engraved stone “Schulzenstein” in front of the hotel tells about the local genius of these old times still.