THURINGIA 261 Jena Saalfeld Weimar Gotha Friedrichroda Ilmenau
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261 THURINGIA THURINGIA Thuringia Thuringia’s mystique has long been on the radar of German travellers, but, for most foreign visitors, this former East German state is usually terra incognita. Those who do visit, however, most surely enjoy what they encounter. Places like Weimar, for instance, which became a keystone of German culture and thought during the Age of Enlightenment and later gave birth to the hugely influential Bauhaus movement. Or Eisenach, remarkable for being both a centre of historic German Lutheranism and of car manufacturing. Jena, of course, has kept alive its legacy as a city of science and optics to this day. And don’t forget the state capital, Erfurt, which wears its medieval splendour with pride. Once you’ve done cultural and historical Thuringia, however, it’s time to shake off all those civilising influences and explore the rich natural offerings of the Thuringian Forest. Its sleepy villages are the portals through which hikers, cyclists and anyone in need of stress relief can indulge their love for the outdoors. You can walk in the footsteps of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, feeling embraced by thick forest and liberated by vistas that send the spirit soaring. Although its roads and trails are well trodden and its cities were long ago etched onto the world cultural map, Thuringia brings many unexpected rewards for visitors who put aside frantic activity and immerse themselves in the gentle momentum of slow travel. HIGHLIGHTS Culture Vulture Find out why Germany is known as the ‘land of poets and thinkers’ on a saunter around Weimar ( p269 ) Going for Goethe Follow in the footsteps of Germany’s favourite genius by hiking the Goethewanderweg ( p286 ) from Ilmenau ( p285 ) to Stützerbach Castle Cravings Go behind the scenes of the Middle Ages at the Wartburg ( p281 ), Martin Luther’s one-time hiding place Glamour Grotto Go hunting for fairies in the underground world of the Feengrotten in Saalfeld ( p293 ) Science, Seriously Peer through a micro- scope and into the starry skies in Jena’s Weimar Optical Museum and planetarium ( p290 ) Gotha Eisenach Jena Friedrichroda Rennsteig Ramble Tackle a leg or two of the Ilmenau Saalfeld Rennsteig ( p282 ), Germany’s oldest trail, by foot or on your bike from Eisenach ( p280 ) Wild Ride Rattle across meadows and through the trees aboard a nostalgic tram ( p277 ) running from Gotha ( p276 ) to beautiful Friedrichroda ( p284 ) and beyond POPULATION: 2.28 MILLION AREA : 16,172 SQ KM 262 THURINGIA •• Information lonelyplanet.com 0 50 km THURINGIA 0 30 miles To Hanover Herzberg To Berlin (100km) Bad Harzgerode A14 (140km) Lauterberg B27 Ilfeld THURINGIA THURINGIA LOWER Göttingen SAXONY-ANHALT SAXONY B243 Nordhausen A143 A7 Halle Leinefelde B80 Artern A38 Leipzig Sondershausen Bad A38 Heiligenstadt Rottleben Frankenhausen A9 Kyffhäuser Heldrungen B247 Gera A14 Mts B249 B4 Freyburg SAXONY Mühlhausen River B86 B85 Werra River Sömmerda Bad Naumburg HESSE B7 Niederdorla Langensalza Hainich Zeitz ὈὈNational B84 Buchenwald Park Altenburg Hörschel Apolda Dornburg Eisenach Gotha Erfurt B7 Weimar B7 A4 To Dresden A4 Tabarz Jena (80km) Waltershausen Neudietendorf Gera Grosser Inselsberg Friedrichroda ver A4 Meerane (916m) Arnstadt i R B85 B88 To FrankfurtᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲTambach- Brotterode Ilm am Main Bad Salzungen Dietharz B4 (130km) Schmalkalden River Wernshausen Oberhof A71 Rudolstadt B281 Zwickau Saale ὈὈThuringian Forest Ilmenau Pössneck Zella-Mehlis Manebach Saalfeld B19 Suhl A9 ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲNeustadt Meiningen Fulda Grosser Stützerbach Beerberg (982m) Neuhaus Ernstthal B90 Plauen BAVARIA B89 B281 Rennsteig Hiking Trail Hildburghausen Blankenstein A71 ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲSonneberg B85 Bad Neustadt B4 BAVARIA CZECH REPUBLIC Coburg Kronach A7 To Bamberg (40km); Munich (265km) A73 Information rural north and mountainous south of the For pretrip planning needs, the Thuringia state are criss-crossed by well-maintained Tourist Board (www.thuringia-tourism.com) has put ‘B’ roads. together a nifty website. Once you’re here, you could also swing by their brick-and-mortar Getting Around office in Erfurt ( opposite ). The board issues Trains are supplemented by local bus net- the Thüringen Card (1/3/6 days adult €14/33/53, child works and an efficient road system. There €9/20/31), which gives you free admission to are two good-value discount train tickets more than 200 attractions and also includes available in Thuringia. The Thüringen-Ticket some public transportation. It’s sold on- (€28) gives up to five people unlimited travel line, at local tourist offices, hotels and other within the state from 9am to 3am the fol- participating venues. lowing day or, on Saturday and Sunday, from midnight to 3am the following day. Getting There & Away It is valid in 2nd class on RE, RB and S- The only airport is in Erfurt, but it’s tiny and, Bahn trains, as well as on buses and trams. unless you’re driving, you’re far more likely to The version for single travellers costs €19. arrive by train. All the major towns are served Another good deal is the Hopper-Ticket (€6), several times daily from Frankfurt, Berlin, which is valid for a day return to any town Dresden and other cities. within 50km of your starting point, includ- Drivers will find the A4 a handy link be- ing places in Saxony-Anhalt. All tickets costs tween the major towns, from Eisenach in €2 more if bought from a train station agent the west to Jena in the east. The new A71 instead of a vending machine. autobahn cuts north–south through the Thuringia also has an extensive bike trail forest from Erfurt to Schweinfurt in north- system. The website www.rad-thueringen.de ern Bavaria. The Berlin–Munich A9 cuts has lots of information, but unfortunately through the eastern part of Thuringia. The only in German..