In the north of the Free State of Thuringia, only 10 km from Mühlhausen, lies Volkenrodaa district of the municipality of Körner. The center of the village is a monastery, which was built on the remains of a former imperial castle by the Cistercian order and consecrated in 1150.

Following the reconstruction and revitalization of the complex since 1990, Volkenroda Monastery is considered a gem in the heart of Germany. But it is not only the old that can be admired here: The Christ Pavilion, which was moved here in 2001, has created a fascinating ensemble of old and new. As one of the most visited pavilions at the "Expo 2000" world exhibition in Hanover, the Christ Pavilion blends in perfectly with the Volkenroda monastery complex. Another important attraction is the 1000-year-old oak tree. This valuable natural monument is located around 300 north-east of Volkenroda and is considered to be part of a medieval forest pasture.

Volkenroda is the starting and finishing point of the pilgrimage route between Volkenroda Monastery and the Loccum branch monastery near Hanover. The main trail leads via Mühlhausen through the Unstrut valley into Eichsfeld and connects the former Reifenstein monastery with the monasteries of Bursfelde, Amelungsborn and Fischbeck. The Monastery Trail in north-western Thuringia, a side route of the Pilgrims' Trail, connects Volkenroda with the Franciscan monastery on Hülfensberg and the former Zella monastery in Eichsfeld. The Monastery Trail unites a total of nine monasteries and religious houses between the Thuringian Basin and the Eichsfeld region to form a pilgrimage route. Another pilgrimage route, the Via Porta, connects the Cistercian monastery in Waldsassen with the Volkenroda monastery.