Location in the Saale Valley
Uhlstädt-Kirchhasel lies in the middle Saale Valley in the Saale-Unstrut region. The Saale runs through the municipality and shapes the landscape. It has cut into the Saale sandstone plateau, forming a steep-sided, rocky valley. The Saale floodplain lies at about 187 to 190 metres above sea level; at Kirchhasel the valley is around two kilometres wide and narrows at Uhlstädt to less than one kilometre.
Hillscapes and wine-growing history
The municipality includes landscapes of shell limestone and bunter sandstone, including the Hexengrund and areas near Groß- and Kleinkochberg. Historic vineyards were located on the south-facing slopes of the Saale Valley exposed to the sun near Kirchhasel, Etzelbach, Uhlstädt and Zeutsch, as well as in the side valleys of Haselbach and Wiedabach.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, wine-growing reached its greatest extent. For the Kirchhasel district, around 40 hectares of vineyard area are documented. From the 17th century onwards, wine-growing declined and was ended in the Saale Valley areas of the municipality in the 19th century.
Wine-growing in the Hexengrund and in Uhlstädt
In the Hexengrund, a side valley of the Saale, historic vineyards were located on the sun-warmed southern slopes of the shell limestone hills, especially near Heilingen. A document from around 973 shows wine from Heilingen of notable quality. Later, wine-growing there declined again, particularly after the 18th century in connection with damage caused by phylloxera.
In Uhlstädt, by wine-growing Broska, a vineyard was newly laid out on a steep slope. The planting was carried out in 2019 and 2020 on 0.65 hectares; Pinotin, Cabernet Blanc and Muscaris are grown. The Uhlstädt district belongs to the legally defined geographical area of the protected designation of origin Saale-Unstrut.
