THURINGIA 261 Jena Saalfeld Weimar Gotha Friedrichroda Ilmenau

THURINGIA 261 Jena Saalfeld Weimar Gotha Friedrichroda Ilmenau . Those who do visit, however, who do visit, however, . Those Eisenach AREA : 16,172 SQ KM 16,172 SQ KM : AREA terra incognita terra  Tackle a leg or two of the a leg or two of the Tackle Peer through a micro- Peer Follow in the footsteps of Germany’s favourite genius by hiking of Germany’s favourite the Follow in the footsteps Go hunting for fairies in the Go hunting for fairies in the Go behind the scenes of the Middle Ages at the Wartburg ( p281 ), Martin p281 at the WartburgGo behind the scenes of the Middle ( Ages Find out why Germany is known as the ‘land of poets and thinkers’ on a out why Germany is known as the ‘land of poets and thinkers’ on a Find

Rattle across meadows and Wild Ride tram aboard a nostalgic through the trees ) to p276 ) running from Gotha ( p277 ( ) and beyond p284 beautiful Friedrichroda ( underground world of the Feengrotten in in world of the Feengrotten underground Saalfeld ( p293 ) Science, Seriously Ramble Rennsteig ), Germany’s oldest trail, by p282 ( Rennsteig ) p280 foot or on your bike from Eisenach ( Glamour Grotto scope and into the starry skies in Jena’s ) p290 Optical Museum and planetarium ( Going for Goethe ) to Stützerbach p285 ( ) from Ilmenau p286 Goethewanderweg ( Cravings Castle Culture Vulture Culture saunter around Weimar ( p269 ) p269 around Weimar ( saunter Luther’s one-time hiding place Luther’s

POPULATION: 2.28 MILLION 2.28 MILLION POPULATION:

      HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS  Although its roads and trails are well trodden and its cities were long ago etched onto the well trodden and its cities were Although its roads and trails are Once you’ve done cultural and historical Thuringia, however, it’s time to shake off all those however, historical Thuringia, done cultural and Once you’ve

 frantic activity and immerse themselves in the gentle momentum of slow travel. frantic activity and immerse themselves world cultural map, Thuringia brings many unexpected rewards for visitors who put aside rewards brings many unexpected world cultural map, Thuringia Goethe, feeling embraced by thick forest and liberated by vistas that send the spirit soaring. the spirit soaring. by vistas that send and liberated by thick forest embraced Goethe, feeling indulge their love for the outdoors. You can walk in the footsteps of Johann Wolfgang von of Johann Wolfgang You can walk in the footsteps for the outdoors. indulge their love villages are the portals through which hikers, cyclists and anyone in need of stress relief can the portals relief villages are hikers, through which cyclists and anyone in need of stress civilising influences and explore the rich natural offerings of the Thuringian Forest. Its sleepy Forest. of the Thuringian natural offerings the rich explore civilising influences and Erfurt, which wears its medieval splendour with pride. visitors, this former East German state is usually German state visitors, this former East capital, the state and optics to this day. And don’t forget its legacy as a city of science alive Thuringia’s mystique has long been on the radar of German travellers, but, for most foreign foreign but, for most radar of German travellers, has long been on the mystique Thuringia’s Jena, of course, has kept and of car manufacturing. of historic German Lutheranism a centre birth to the hugely influential Bauhaus movement. Or Eisenach, remarkablebirth for being both influential Bauhaus movement. to the hugely Thuringia gave and later of Enlightenment the Age and thought during keystone of German culture most surely enjoy what they encounter. Places like for instance, which became a Weimar, enjoy what they encounter. most surely THURINGIA through theeastern partofthrough Thuringia. The A9 cutsern Bavaria. TheBerlin–Munich forest fromErfurttoSchweinfurt innorth- theautobahn cutsnorth–south through the westtoJena intheeast. ThenewA71 themajortween in towns,fromEisenach Dresden and other cities. timesdailyfromFrankfurt,Berlin, several arrive bytrain.Allthemajor townsare served unless you’re driving,you’re farmore likely to The onlyairportisinErfurt,butit’s tinyand, Getting There&Away venues. participating hotelsline, atlocaltouristoffices, andother It’ssoldon- some publictransportation. more than 200attractionsandalsoincludes €9/20/31) the inErfurt( office opposite ). Theboard issues could alsoswingbytheirbrick-and-mortar together aniftywebsite. Once you’re here, you Board Tourist For pretrip the planningneeds, 262 Information To Hanover (130km) am Main To Frankfurt SAXONY A4 A7 A7 LOWER (100km) THURINGIA Fulda HESSE Drivers willfindtheA4 a handylinkbe- ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ Thüringen Card Thüringen HRNI • Ifrain THURINGIA ••Information A38 , which gives youfree admissionto B7 Bad Neustadt B27 ὈὈ ὈὈ Hörschel Göttingen Bad Salzungen BAVARIA Heiligenstadt

Wernshausen Grosser Inselsberg (www.thuringia-tourism.com) (www.thuringia-tourism.com) A71 Meiningen B247 Leinefelde (916m) B19

Herzberg (1/3/6 daysadult€14/33/53,child National Hainich B80 Brotterode River Werra Park Tabarz Schmalkalden Eisenach Niederdorla Hildburghausen Zella-Mehlis B84 Thuringian Forest B243 Lauterberg Bad Mühlhausen To Bamberg(40km); B249 Sondershausen Munich (265km) Beerberg B89 Grosser Gotha (982m) Waltershausen Friedrichroda Suhl Dietharz Tambach- Oberhof

Bad Langensalza

Gera Ilfeld Nordhausen River Thuringia Stützerbach Erfurt Manebach B4 has put B4 Rottleben Neudietendorf Kyffhäuser Ilmenau Sonneberg B4 Neuhaus A71 Neustadt Arnstadt B281 Coburg Mts SAXONY-ANHALT A73 B86 A4

Rudolstadt Ilm B7 Frankenhausen Bad Buchenwald Sömmerda R Harzgerode iv Weimar Saalfeld B85 e Heldrungen Ernstthal

r Rennsteig Hiking Trail Hiking Rennsteig state arestate bywell-maintained criss-crossed southofrural northandmountainous the only in German. has lots of information, butunfortunately system. Thewebsite www.rad-thueringen.de instead of a vending machine. €2 more agent fromatrainstation ifbought ing placesinSaxony-Anhalt. Alltickets costs within 50kmof point,includ- yourstarting which isvalidforadayreturn toanytown Another gooddealisthe The version forsingletravellers costs€19. andtrams. trains,aswell onbuses Bahn It isvalidin2ndclassonRE,RBandS- to3amthefollowingday.from midnight lowing dayor,onSaturdayandSunday, within thestate from9amto3amthefol- (€28) gives uptofive peopleunlimited travel available inThuringia. The are twogood-value discounttraintickets roadsystem. Thereworks andanefficient Trains are supplemented bylocalbusnet- Around Getting roads. ‘B’ Artern B85 B85 Kronach Thuringia alsohas anextensive bike trail BAVARIA Saale Apolda

River B90 Jena Pössneck B88 Dornburg Blankenstein Freyburg B281 30miles 50km 0 0 Naumburg B7 A143 A14 A9 To Berlin (140km) Gera Halle A38 Zeitz Plauen Altenburg Hopper-Ticket lonelyplanet.com Thüringen-Ticket A9 Leipzig SAXONY Meerane REPUBLIC A4 Zwickau CZECH To Dresden (80km)

(€6) ,

A14