Unforgettable autumn leisure: An adventure for everyone in Thuringia!

Unforgettable autumn leisure: An adventure for everyone in Thuringia!

In Lahnstein, community is very important. The 30th autumn camp of the “Treff 81” group, which consists of disabled and non-disabled members of the Catholic parishes of Lahnstein, St. Martin and St. Damian, recently took place. For a week, Thuringia became the home of the group, who stayed in Ziegenrück in the Saale-Orla district. Here the participants experienced relaxed days with varied activities and valuable encounters. View current reports that this time of year represents an important source of recovery and cohesion for those affected.

What did the group experience?The free time was packed with exciting activities. Carsten Höller steered a Donat boat on the picturesque Hohenwarte reservoir, while Theresa, Valerie and supervisor Helmut enjoyed the view from the cable car in Saalburg's fairytale forest. A highlight was Mirco and Jürgen trying out the ship swing, who had a lot of fun.

An exciting excursion into history

The group visited the Heinrichshütte foundry in Wurzbach, which is an interactive museum that offers a deep insight into the traditional technique of iron casting. Heinrichshütte Wurzbach is not only popular with families and school groups, but also a place where historical practices come to life again. Anyone who enters the foundry can not only watch, but also lend a hand - a real experience for young and old.

The tour of the market cave in Bad Lobenstein gave the group an insight into ore mining. The participants were allowed to go to the Leuchtenburg in Seitenroda
Visit the “Porcelain Worlds” exhibition and even paint your own plates. These were then thrown from a skywalk into the valley - a fantastic experience!

In addition, a shopping tour was planned in Saalfeld and the Johanneskirche, the largest hall church in Thuringia, was visited. In the evening at the Hotel Am Schlossberg the group gathers to sing songs and play board games under the guitar accompaniment of Helmut Reuscher.

Impulses for the soul

Another important part of the leisure time were the impulses about human dignity that Father Wolfgang Jungheim conveyed to the participants. A special highlight was the outdoor service, which took place in a beautiful park and strengthened the group's shared spirit.

“Such leisure activities are a real stop in the annual rhythm of disabled people and also give parents a well-deserved break,” explains the youngest carer Adrian Zmelty, who was most recently part of this traditionally grown community. On the return trip to Wetzlar, a picnic was held, where the group met Hannele and Dietmar, the former choir director of the Caritas workshop for the disabled in Lahnstein. The folk song “We drove through Germany” was enriched with a new verse about the acquaintance with the “Thuringian Sea”.

The autumn leisure time in Thuringia proves once again how important such gatherings are for people with disabilities. They not only help to strengthen the sense of community, but also offer valuable impulses for personal development. Such event formats should be promoted even more in the future.