The Soup Museum in Neudorf is one of those quirky finds that make you smile — the first museum of its kind in Germany, dedicated entirely to soup. If you're looking for an unusual stop while hiking through the Ore Mountains, this is it.

Neudorf has long been nicknamed 'Soup Land', a name rooted in an old legend about a hermit called Katzenhans. Wandering the village one winter begging for food, he was given soup at every house he visited, eventually got a stomachache, and scornfully dubbed the village 'Soup Village'. The name stuck and became a beloved local trademark. The harsh mountain climate and modest living conditions in Ore Mountain villages meant soup was often the only affordable meal — the museum brings this history to life through recipes, utensils, paintings and texts, as well as local traditions like the soup-cooking olympics and soup-pot pulling contests.

• Neudorf (Sehmatal), Upper Ore Mountains — reachable by car or on foot from the village centre, a few minutes, easy route

• Open since 1992, originally housed in the Kaiserhof Neudorf building
• Since August 2013, located in new premises in the former town hall

It's a great stop on a hike through the Ore Mountains for anyone wanting to dive into local history and culinary culture — and find out why this village is known as 'Soup Land'.