Lehesten is located on the border with Bavaria on a plateau in the Franconian Forest. Slate mining ("Alter Bruch"), first documented in 1499, has been the most important source of income for the population for centuries. The establishment of the roofing school (now a training center for the Thuringian roofing trade) is linked to slate mining. The often closed rows of houses in the town center often have slate walls. Figurative representations in slate bear witness to the art of the local slaters.