In the south-east of Thuringia, where the Vogtland, Franconian Forest and Thuringian Slate Mountains meet, lies the Upper Saale Valley. Here, surrounded by forests and slopes, the Saale flows, dammed for long stretches. The Heinrichstein is located on the Saalebogen to the south-east of Bad Lobenstein, in the Schönbrunn area. It is rightly described as one of the most beautiful hiking destinations in the surrounding area. The Heinrichstein can be reached via well-signposted hiking trails, both from the Schönbrunn side via the "Green Donkey" and from the Ebersdorf side via the "Pohlighaus".

The Heinrichstein is a jagged rock massif with a height of 515 meters above sea level. The rock, which has always impaired the flow of the Saale, is said to have originally been called "Stuhfels", which meant that it dammed up the water at its foot. The steep slope downstream still bears the name "Stuhleite" today and a section of rock above the cliff face is known as the "Stuhacker".

The first written reference to Heinrichstein was in a handwritten chronicle of Ebersdorf, which around 1740 mentions "love feasts on the Heinrichstein", which were held by the Ebersdorf-based congregation of Brethren and where, in addition to religious ceremonies, people also ate and drank together. It was first marked on a map in 1757. From here, it is still possible to use the jetty below the Heinrichstein and board the "MS Thüringer Meer" passenger boat.