Thuringian Forest

Nature park & biosphere reserve

The Thu­rin­gi­an Forest — a para­di­se for natu­re lovers

The Thu­rin­gi­an Forest, also known as the “Green Heart of Ger­ma­ny”, stret­ches over a length of around 150 kilo­me­ters in Thu­rin­gia. This low moun­tain ran­ge impres­ses with its den­se forests, pic­tures­que val­leys and idyl­lic vil­la­ges. The Renn­steig, a famous high-alti­tu­de hiking trail, attracts out­door enthu­si­asts from all over the world. In addi­ti­on to unspoi­led natu­re, the regi­on offers cul­tu­ral tre­asu­res such as Wart­burg Cast­le near Eisen­ach and tra­di­tio­nal glass­blo­wing. In win­ter, the Thu­rin­gi­an Forest beco­mes a para­di­se for win­ter sports enthu­si­asts. Its pris­ti­ne beau­ty, cou­pled with warm hos­pi­ta­li­ty, makes it a popu­lar desti­na­ti­on for holi­day­makers loo­king for rela­xa­ti­on and adven­ture. Here, natu­re and cul­tu­re mer­ge in a uni­que way.

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UNESCO World Heri­ta­ge Site

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This way … 

The Dragon Gorge

The Dra­gon Gor­ge, a uni­que natu­ral monu­ment near Eisen­ach, is a fasci­na­ting desti­na­ti­on for hikers and natu­re lovers. This nar­row gor­ge winds its way through the Thu­rin­gi­an Forest and impres­ses with its steep rock faces, some of which are only 68 cen­ti­me­t­res apart. The name “Dra­gon Gor­ge” comes from a legend accor­ding to which a dra­gon once lived here — today visi­tors can expect a fairy­ta­le adventure.

The appro­xi­m­ate­ly 3‑ki­lo­met­re-long hiking rou­te beg­ins at Mari­en­tal near Eisen­ach and leads through a green oasis. The gor­ge its­elf, part of a natu­re trail, is cha­rac­te­ri­zed by moss-cover­ed rock faces and crys­tal-clear water­cour­ses. Par­ti­cu­lar high­lights are the foot­brid­ges and woo­den bridges, which make it pos­si­ble to cross the gor­ge on dry feet, even when the water of the small stream that runs through it rises.

The Dra­chen­schlucht gor­ge near Eisen­ach is a fasci­na­ting gor­ge in the Thu­rin­gi­an Forest with moss-cover­ed rock faces and nar­row pas­sa­ges that immer­se visi­tors in a fairy­ta­le atmo­sphe­re. The cool gor­ge, through which a stream flows, offers a natu­re trail with foot­brid­ges and bridges. It com­bi­nes impres­si­ve natu­re with pro­xi­mi­ty to the his­to­ric Wart­burg Cast­le and is a high­light for hikers.

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The Wartburg

The Wart­burg, maje­s­ti­cal­ly enthro­ned abo­ve the town of Eisen­ach, is one of Germany’s most famous land­marks and a UNESCO World Heri­ta­ge Site. Foun­ded around 1067, the cast­le is a living tes­tim­o­ny to Euro­pean histo­ry, cul­tu­re and archi­tec­tu­re. Its signi­fi­can­ce extends far bey­ond Thu­rin­gia and makes it a popu­lar desti­na­ti­on for tou­rists from all over the world.

Wart­burg Cast­le play­ed a cen­tral role in Ger­man histo­ry. In the ear­ly 13th cen­tu­ry, it was the sce­ne of the legen­da­ry Sin­gers’ War, which inspi­red Richard Wagner’s ope­ra “Tann­häu­ser”. It beca­me even more important in the 16th cen­tu­ry when Mar­tin Luther found refu­ge here. During his exi­le, Luther trans­la­ted the New Tes­ta­ment into Ger­man — a ground­brea­king achie­ve­ment that shaped the Refor­ma­ti­on and the deve­lo­p­ment of the Ger­man language.

The cast­le its­elf impres­ses with its well-pre­ser­ved buil­dings, which com­bi­ne archi­tec­tu­ral styl­es from dif­fe­rent eras. Par­ti­cu­lar­ly worth see­ing are the Palas, the main buil­ding with its magni­fi­cent halls, and the Luther­stu­be, whe­re Luther did his trans­la­ti­on work. The cha­pel and the cast­le cour­ty­ard with breath­ta­king views of the sur­roun­ding forests are also high­lights for visitors.

Howe­ver, Wart­burg Cast­le is not only a his­to­ri­cal site, but also a sym­bol of Ger­man unity and cul­tu­re. In the 19th cen­tu­ry, it beca­me the site of the Wart­burg Fes­ti­val, an important gathe­ring of stu­dents who cam­pai­gned for natio­nal unity and freedom.

Today, Wart­burg Cast­le offers a varied expe­ri­ence: from gui­ded tours and muse­ums to cul­tu­ral events and con­certs. The uni­que com­bi­na­ti­on of histo­ry, art and natu­re makes it a place that unites past and pre­sent in a fasci­na­ting way — a must for every visi­tor to the Thu­rin­gi­an Forest.

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