Reinhardsbrunn is an important place in the history of Thuringia. As the „cradle“ of medieval Thuringia, the dynastic and religious roots of the Free State can be found here. Martin Luther roamed the area around Reinhardsbrunn several times during his „forced stay“ at Wartburg Castle in 1521/1522. He is said to have negotiated strange things with the monks and others here and remained unrecognized. The monastery was one of the very first monasteries in Thuringia. Founded in 1085 by the Thuringian landgrave „Ludwig der Springer“, it quickly became famous as the house monastery and burial place of the Thuringian landgraves (Ludovingians). However, the monastery fell into disrepair from the early 13th century. This was due to the extinction of the Ludovingians and a serious fire in 1292. During the Peasants' War in 1525, the monastery was finally destroyed, plundered and later sold to the Elector of Saxony.

After the monastery fell into disrepair, the current buildings of Reinhardsbrunn Castle were constructed between 1601 and 1706. Around 1850, a landscaped park was laid out around the castle. The grounds and buildings were added to the „Inventory of Art Monuments of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha“ in 1891. After the Second World War, the aristocratic family was expropriated without compensation and the castle, including its inventory and grounds, was transferred to the state of Thuringia. The state set up training facilities and later a hotel for wealthy foreign guests. The castle developed into a cultural and educational center where concerts and congresses were held. A pioneer holiday camp was also set up on the castle grounds. Since 2011, a support association has been looking after the buildings and park grounds. Numerous emergency repairs and renovations have been carried out on the buildings to prevent further deterioration.

The Protestant Church of Thuringia has found a place for the Reinhardsbrunn Monastery in the area of the medieval grounds. Training and conference rooms as well as a center for spiritual tourism and the Reinhardsbrunn Monastery Park were created. The Chapel of St. John was consecrated in 2001. This „cyclist's chapel“ is said to be a duplicate of the first church in Thuringia, which was founded by St. Boniface near Altenbergen in 724. The chapel also contains a cast of the original tomb slab of Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia and spouse of St. Elisabeth.