With the establishment of the railway connection to Mühlhausen in 1870, a new district came into being between the city centre and the railway station, eventually reaching the foot of the Riesinger Hill. The first trees were planted on the hill in 1878. Further development of the area as a city park was taken up by the Verschönerungsverein zu Mühlhausen (“Association for the Beautification of Mühlhausen”), founded in 1843. In particular, the chairman of the association, Theodor Wiesenthal (1853–1923; in office 1898–1923), promoted the creation of a “recreational centre for the citizens of Mühlhausen”. After the association had initiated a monument on the Riesinger Hill in 1901, to commemorate the Peasants’ War, the city’s gardening inspector Adolf Pollex (1864–1921) drew up an overall plan for the municipal park on an area of 130,000 square metres in 1902. Since then, citizens donated considerable sums of money to the project. As a result, 60,000 woody plants were planted there. The promenade paths are all winded, due to the topography of the partly sloping terrain. Water and electricity connections were provided, a goldfish pond, waterfall and fountain put into operation. A Swiss-style multi-storey car park was built in 1910. In addition, benches were set up and a wooden observation tower was built on the site. Since 1908, the Mühlhausen-Treffurt railway line cut the park into two parts, which were connected by a pedestrian bridge. The park’s squares and paths were named after deserving members and supporters of the Beautification Association. A monument was erected for the former chairman of the association, the City Councillor and Chief Post Secretary Theodor Wiesenthal, designed by the Mühlhausen sculptor Walter Krause (1891–1967), which was unveiled on September 19, 1926.

As part of the “Thomas Müntzer Struggle for Peace Week”, from May 25 to May 31, the city park was renamed Volkspark Thomas Müntzer (“Thomas Müntzer People’s Park”), and again later Thomas Müntzer Park. The Peasants’ War Memorial Stone of 1901 received a new inscription, which rededicated it as the “Thomas Müntzer Monument”, to which a new commemorative plaque was attached in 1975. On May 27, 1953, the 428th anniversary of Müntzer’s death, an open-air stage with 2,000 seats was inaugurated, which was used for concerts, theatre and cinema performances until the early 1990s.

Since then the Rieseninger Hill has lost its significance as a recreational area and event venue close to the city. This function has since been taken over by the Swan Pond with its cultural centre and swimming pool, which has been further developed by the city of Mühlhausen. The Riesinger Hill has developed into a forest and habitat for numerous plants and animal species. In its new form, it is again widely accepted by the citizenry today.

The Mühlhausen city forest with its extensive and convenient network of trails is a popular destination for hiking and recreation. The "Weißes Haus" hikers' parking lot is an ideal starting point. The sequoia trees, which can be found in various places in the city forest, are particularly worth seeing. Redwood trees reach a height of 120 meters in North America. In 1884, the city's chief forester E. Brehme established a planting garden with sequoias and other foreign trees on the Torfgrubenweg.

The lake is located about one kilometer southwest of Mühlhausen, south of the Swan Pond on the Thomaswiese. To the south is the Weidensee estate. The source of the Thomasteich is the Felchtaer Bach, which flows into the Unstrut.

The Thomas pond was excavated in 1607 in the headwaters of a brook. When in 1901 the Thomas spring was created on a small hill to the north-east of the pond, it was additionally strengthened with karst water. This is why scattered fir fronds can be seen in the lake water today. The Thomas pond has been designated as an area nature monument and is the property of the Mühlhausen anglers' association. The Unstrut-Werra cycle path leads from Mühlhausen directly past the pond.

The Spittel fountain is a hunger well, i.e. a periodically water-bearing karst spring, in the north of the Hainich near Mühlhausen in Thuringia.

The Spittel fountain, which only pours after prolonged downpours, is located in the Mühlhausen city forest and is lined with shell limestone blocks. The well has a diameter of about one and a half meters and is about two meters deep. The well takes its name from the village of Spudelborn, which was formerly located there and was abandoned as early as the 13th century. The outflowing Spittelgraben runs to the east and merges with the Felchtaer Bach, a tributary of the Unstrut, near Weidensee.

The Mühlhäuser Landgraben combines nature and history over a length of 26 kilometers to a wonderful hiking experience. Already in prehistoric and early historic times, Germanic settlers sought protection from invaders and conquerors from the north and west through the precursor of the moat. Later, fortifications consisting of ramparts and ditches served to protect the imperial city of Mühlhausen.

During extensive excavations between 1957 and 1964, archaeologists found the relics of a prehistoric cult site on the edge of a lake north of Niederdorla. The rituals began in the 6th century B.C. Today, an open-air museum stands on this site, vividly documenting the history of the cult site from the Iron Age to the Migration Period. The site comprises ten faithfully reconstructed sanctuaries, a settlement from the time of the Germanic tribes and a museum in wooden construction, in which numerous finds such as ceramics and cult objects are exhibited.

An idea that originated in the Netherlands has now been implemented in the Mühlhausen city forest.

Explore the Mühlhäuser Stadtwald on foot or by bike. Find your way along the hiking and cycling routes using the junction system.

The Mühlhäuser Stadtwald has become an even more attractive destination for cyclists and hikers thanks to the new junction system. Numbered junction signposts have been installed at the intersections of the paths in the city forest. The numbers serve as orientation points. At each junction, the nearest junctions are listed with directions and distances.

The Eigenröder Warte is one of the former six lookouts of the Mühlhausen ditch, a medieval fortification with rampart and hedge, which was built in the middle of the 14th century to protect against raids from the Eichsfeld, Hesse and Lower Saxony in the northwest of the former imperial city of Mühlhausen and extends over 24.5 km from the Güldenen Holz in the west to the Mühlhäuser Hardt in the north.

The Weißes Haus hikers' parking lot is an ideal starting point for hikes through the Mühlhausen city forest. A special attraction in the Mühlhäuser Stadtwald are the sequoia trees.

The hikers' parking lot is an ideal starting point for hikes through the Mühlhäuser Stadtwald. A special attraction in the Mühlhäuser Stadtwald are the sequoia trees.

The hikers' parking lot is an ideal starting point for hikes through the Mühlhäuser Stadtwald. A special attraction in the Mühlhäuser Stadtwald are the sequoia trees.