Information Map leGend Bach Cycling Route ArnstAdt other cycling routes Young Tourist Information Office Markt 1, 99310 Arnstadt Museum +49 (0) 3628 602049 Castle Genius [email protected] www.arnstadt.de Castle ruin Closed on Sundays Church Campsite drei Gleichen DISCOVER Tourist Information Office Picnic area Bach in Thuringia “Thuringian Burgenland Drei Gleichen” Stone cross Bach Thomas-Müntzer-Straße 4 Observation tower www.bach-thueringen.de 99869 Drei Gleichen/OT Mühlberg +49 (0) 36256 22846 cyclinG [email protected] Bicycle trAils www.drei-gleichen.de Bach Cycle experience Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays RAD-ERLEBNISROUTE Experience Trail1 Bach Cycle Ohrdruf Route Experience Trail2 Town and Tourist Information Office River Apfelstädt Marktplatz 1, 99885 Ohrdruf Cycle Trail +49 (0) 3624 330210 [email protected] Nesse Valley Authentic Cycle Trail www.ohrdruf.de Closed on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays Flößgraben Places Circular Trail Thuringian Town Chain D-Route 4 Gera Cycle Trail PUBLISHER: weimar GmbH in cooperation with the Tourismusverband Thü­­ Bach Cycling Charming ringer Wald/Gothaer Land e.V. [Tourist Association of the Thuringian Forest/ Route Gotha County], District of Gotha and Ilm, internet: www.bach- thue ringen.de | EDITORS: Kerstin Fürst, Mark Schmidt (weimar GmbH) | TEXTS: Leika Kom- mu­­nikation | CIRCULATIOn: 08-2020, 3,000 copies | DESIGn: Diemar Jung Zapfe GmbH, Erfurt | mAps: Inge nieur büro und Verlag mr- Karto graphie Festivals Müller und Riechert GbR, Gotha | phOtOs: Land rats amt Ilm-Kreis (Thomas Müller), Stadtverwaltung Ohrdruf (Manfred Ständer), weimar GmbH (Clemens Signposts finished by 2020 Signposts beginning 2020 in 2 Bauerfeind), Agrar GmbH Crawinkel (Thomas Lehmann) 1 Bach Cycling Experience Route BAch site BAch site Discover Bach by bicycle! Wechmar Arnstadt CIRCULAr rOUTE 54 km, turn-off to Arnstadt- Gentle hills, colourful meadows, small rivers and Dornheim 6 km Johann Sebastian Bach himself researched Arnstadt offers the most original sites from the castles shrouded in legend—the landscape at the the history of his ancestors who had settled lives of Johann Sebastian Bach and his ancestors. heart of Thuringia is picturesque. Johann Sebastian TRAIL cONDITIONS mainly asphalt, in part water- in Wechmar from Bohemia. Bach spent his early years and youth here in this bound gravel or forest track A long time before him, the many so-called “Bache” idyllic region. Enjoy a varied circular bicycle tour ALTITUDE DIFFERENCE approx. 250-500 metres Veit Bach, father of five sons, is considered as the worked as Stadtpfeifer [musicians], organists or court through charming places with half-timbered houses above sea level founder of the Bach dynasty of musicians. He came to musicians. In the new church which was later renamed and the impressive panoramic views from the moun- the small place in the 16th century and worked as a Bach Church, Johann Sebastian tested the newly in- tain ranges of the Thuringian Forest! LEVel Of DIFFICULTY easy to moderate baker in the Oberbackhaus [upper bakery]. A small stalled Wender organ. As the 18-year-old Bach’s play- Bach memorial with museum has now been set up ing was so impressive, he was appointed to his first You can start the cycle route at any of the small Bach cONNECTIOn tO OTHER CYCLE TRAILS there. The largest surviving family tree of the wide- position as an organist. The baroque organ can be sites. Be enchanted by the young, temperamental Thuringian Town Chain Cycle Trail (225 km) – Start: spread family in the yard is impressive. It is known admired in its original appearance and sound. Bach’s Bach in Arnstadt. In the area around Crawinkel, Konik Mühlberg (Marktplatz), Wechmar (Bach ancestral that Veit Bach was very musical. Allegedly, he would BAch site organ console can be viewed at the exhibition in the horses and llamas graze on large meadows. Walk in home) | Apfelstädt Cycle Trail (27 km) – Start: play the cittern in time with the mill wheel when he castle museum. It is known that Bach had a few dis- Bach’s tracks as a Latin pupil and choir boy in Ohrdruf. Schwab hausen (“Am Steinig”/gravel mine) | Gera was milling grain. An appointment to visit it can be putes as a young man; there was a fight between him Cycle on to Wechmar; Johann Sebastian Bach’s ances- Cycle Trail (75 km) – Start: Arnstadt (Wollmarkt) Ohrdruf made in the Bach ancestral home. The original Thurin- and one of his choristers on the market square. The tors worked here as bakers in the originally preserved RECOMMENDED cARPArKs tO START tO THE gian fully timbered and panelled room is especially After Johann Sebastian Bach lost his parents Bach monument by Bernd Göbel which depicts young Oberbackhaus and in the Veit-Bach-Mill. From there rOUTE FROm Wechmar: opposite the Bach ancestral worth seeing. in 1695, he was taken in by his brother Johann Bach casually leaning on a milestone now stands not you can return to Arnstadt. Cycling along the proud home | Mühlberg: Marktplatz, Kulturscheune, sports It is also worth visiting the village church, which Christoph who was 14 years older than him. He far from this quarrel. You can climb the tower of the BAch site castles Drei Gleichen, you can literally hear the sound ground, petrol station | Holzhausen: below Veste was built between 1841 and 1843 in the so-called Rund - was to become Bach’s first instrumental teacher. Neideck ruin behind the town castle; from a height of of the wooden cartwheels of days gone by. And if you Wachsenburg, at Gustav-Freytag-Weg | Arnstadt: bogenstil [round-arch style]. The Alte Schule where 65 metres you have a wonderful panoramic view just Dornheim are not out of breath yet, you can cycle from Arnstadt Wollmarkt | Dornheim: the church where Bach was Ernst Christian Bach worked as a cantor and boys’ In tranquil Ohrdruf, Johann Sebastian Bach contrib- as the watchman Caspar Bach the Elder once had. to the church where Bach was married in Dornheim married | Crawinkel: walkers’ car park “Alte Gosseler school teacher has been restored and is located beside uted to the living costs by singing in the Kurrende The secluded churchyard which still exudes along the paths taken by the wedding party. Straße”, “Alte Mühle” community centre | Ohrdruf: the church. [boys’ choir] and the choir and composing his first rural remoteness and tranquillity can be reached Ehrenstein Castle, Technical Monument “Tobias- organ chorales. Johann Christoph worked as an organ- by stepping through a mighty gatehouse. Enjoy the Bach Cycling Experience Route! hammer” ist in the main church, St. Michaelis, whose church tower is still standing, and which can be visited upon This was perhaps the reason why Johann Sebastian VieWpOINTS Mühlberg: Mühlburg | Holz hausen: appointment. An ecclesiastic library with hymn- and Bach led his wedding party here on foot from Arnstadt. Veste Wachsenburg | Arnstadt: Alteburg castle tower sermon-books from Bach’s school years are tucked On 17 October 1707, he married his second cousin, (in Alteburg castle), Neideck tower (castle garden) | away inside it. His residence and the Latin School he Maria Barbara Bach, in the small village church. Ohrdruf: water tower (on Goldberg) attended fell victim to town fires. A plaque at Vollrath- At that time, he had already terminated his service gasse 5 with the “moonlight anecdote” commemo- in Arnstadt and taken up a position as an organist ARRIVinG By TRAin rates the composer. in Mühlhausen. Arnstadt, Gotha (approx. Cycling Route Ehrenstein Castle is not far from here. The castle Bach fans get married every year at this magical 5 km to start in Wechmar), Planner was closed for restoration after a major fire and is due place. The church where Bach was married can also Haarhausen (approx. 2 km to re-open in 2020. An exhibition on both musical be visited by appointment. Most notably, the epitaph to start in Holzhausen) brothers is planned. St. Trinitatis church is also worth of the Schwarzburgian chief captain Christoph von a visit; Johann Christoph Bach played the organ at its Entzenbergk from 1585 and a gothic winged altarpiece consecration in 1714. from 1430 are worth a visit..