thuringia tourist attractions

Top Things to Do in Thuringia, Germany

Places to visit in thuringia, explore popular experiences, popular cities in thuringia.

Ways to tour Thuringia

Weimar Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide

Weimar - Private Historic Walking Tour

Segway tour in Etzelsbach with Eichsfeld breakfast

City game scavenger hunt Erfurt - independent city tour I discovery tour

Eisenach - Guided Tour of Old Town

Eisenach Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide

Segway tour around the Werra horseshoe

Stadtspiel scavenger hunt Weimar - independent city tour I discovery tour

Iron curtain / green ribbon kayak tour

Erfurt Private Guided Walking Tour

Top attractions in thuringia.

Walking Tours

Private Sightseeing Tours

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THE 10 BEST Things to Do in Thuringia

Things to do in thuringia, explore popular experiences, popular cities in thuringia.

Ways to tour Thuringia

Weimar Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide

Weimar - Private Historic Walking Tour

Segway tour in Etzelsbach with Eichsfeld breakfast

City game scavenger hunt Erfurt - independent city tour I discovery tour

Eisenach - Guided Tour of Old Town

Eisenach Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide

Segway tour around the Werra horseshoe

Stadtspiel scavenger hunt Weimar - independent city tour I discovery tour

Iron curtain / green ribbon kayak tour

Erfurt Private Guided Walking Tour

Top attractions in thuringia.

Walking Tours

Private Sightseeing Tours

Historical tours, what travellers are saying.

Top Thuringia Attractions

Things to do in thuringia, explore popular experiences, popular cities in thuringia.

Ways to tour Thuringia

Weimar Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide

Weimar - Private Historic Walking Tour

Segway tour in Etzelsbach with Eichsfeld breakfast

City game scavenger hunt Erfurt - independent city tour I discovery tour

Eisenach - Guided Tour of Old Town

Eisenach Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide

Segway tour around the Werra horseshoe

Stadtspiel scavenger hunt Weimar - independent city tour I discovery tour

Iron curtain / green ribbon kayak tour

Erfurt Private Guided Walking Tour

Top attractions in thuringia.

Walking Tours

Private Sightseeing Tours

Historical tours, what travellers are saying.

Top Thuringia Attractions

Things to do in thuringia, explore popular experiences, popular cities in thuringia.

Ways to tour Thuringia

Weimar Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide

Weimar - Private Historic Walking Tour

Segway tour in Etzelsbach with Eichsfeld breakfast

City game scavenger hunt Erfurt - independent city tour I discovery tour

Eisenach - Guided Tour of Old Town

Eisenach Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide

Segway tour around the Werra horseshoe

Stadtspiel scavenger hunt Weimar - independent city tour I discovery tour

Iron curtain / green ribbon kayak tour

Erfurt Private Guided Walking Tour

Top attractions in thuringia.

Walking Tours

Private Sightseeing Tours

Historical tours, what travelers are saying.

• The 10 Best Things To...

The 10 Best Things to Do In Thuringia, Germany

Thuringia often doesn’t make it on the list of places in Germany to visit, which is hard to believe considering how much the heart of Germany has to offer in terms of historical sites and natural landscapes. We’ve gathered the 10 best things to do in Thuringia to get you started on your adventure.

Having come out of World War II nearly unscathed, the Thuringia state capital is one of the most intact medieval towns in Germany and boasts some amazing historical sights . Beautiful medieval, half-timbered houses stand side by side along the Merchants’ Bridge, which spans across a branch of the Gera River. The city’s baroque Petersberg Citadel ranks among the best preserved and largest fortresses in Europe and the Gothic Erfurt Cathedral is 1,200 years old.

Wartburg Castle

Perched on a hilltop, the medieval Wartburg Castle overlooks the town of Eisenach and the Thuringian forest. The thick castle walls have sustained more than 900 years of history: the Protestant Reformation’s leader, Martin Luther, sought refuge at Wartburg Castle after Pope Leo X excommunicated him and spent some time there during 1521–22, translating the New Testaments from Ancient Greek to German. Today, the castle is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site and draws people from all over the world to its grounds.

Wartburg Castle, Auf der Wartburg 1, Eisenach, Germany , +49 3691 2500

Fairy Grottos

In 1910, the chambers of a former alum mine in Saalfeld were rediscovered and unveiled as a fascinating underground world of caves , caverns and pools. Over centuries, stalactites and stalagmites have formed in dazzling shades of grey, beige, brown and red. When people first explored the magical grottos , they spotted rock formations that resembled the shape of fairies, ultimately giving the attraction its name.

Fairy Grottos, Feengrottenweg 2, Saalfeld, Germany , +49 3671 55040

Weimar is a mesmerising town, only 30 minutes from Erfurt and known for its affiliation with Goethe and Schiller, who both spent a significant amount of time there. The Goethe House, the writer’s former home, has been converted into a museum that houses artwork, a library and Goethe’s writing room. Other not-to-miss sights include the stunning Duchess Anna Amalia Library and the City Castle’s museum , which displays art from the Middle Ages through the 18th century.

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Planetarium Jena

The city of Jena is not exactly a tourist magnet, though it does boast one fascinating attraction: the world’s oldest operating planetarium . Sine it opened in 1926, people have marvelled at the planets and stars that are projected onto the inside of the building’s white cupola. The planetarium hosts a myriad of events on a daily basis, which include talks, film screenings and a number of show productions which often involve classic rock music accompanied by mesmerizing 360-degree video sequences.

Planetarium Jena, Am Planetarium 5, Jena, Germany , +49 3641 885488

Canopy Walk

Thuringia’s Hainich National Park is one of Germany’s untouched primeval beech forests and is listed as UNESCO site. A 530-metre-long (1,740-foot-long) wooden walking path takes you up into the park’s canopy and offers visitors a bird’s-eye view of the surrounding thick forest. Along the way, information panels share bits of information about the area, its ecosystem and its inhabitants.

Hainich National Park, Thiemsburg 1, Schönstedt, Germany , +49 3603 825843

Buchenwald Memorial

Ettersberg hill near Weimar was chosen by the Nazis as the site for one of Germany’s largest concentration camps. Buchenwald opened in the summer of 1937 and today stands as a stark reminder of one of the darkest events in human history. Visiting the camp is a humbling and chilling experience, but very educational and, for the sake of remembering, a must-see. You can either join a guided tour or download a multimedia guide to your phone which takes you around the memorial site of both the Nazi concentration camp and the Soviet Special Camp.

Buchenwald Memorial, Weimar, Germany , +49 3643 430200

Schloss Belvedere

You might immediately think of Vienna, but the Schloss Belvedere house on our list is located on the outskirts of Weimar. The 18th-century palace was initially built as a summer residence for the Ducal family. Today, the beautifully decorated Baroque-style rooms house a museum with an impressive collection of art, crafts, porcelain and furniture from the same era. Every visit should include a stroll around the vast park, through the English landscape garden and past the Orangery and pleasure garden.

Schloss und Park Weimar-Belvedere, Weimar, Germany , +49 3643 545400

Regional culinary specialities

Thuringia is a heaven for lovers of hearty German food , from Thuringian sausages, which are traditionally grilled over an open fire, to beef roulades with red cabbage and potato dumplings, or Klöße, as they’re called there. As for sweet culinary delights, sheet cakes are popular and come in a variety of flavours: buttermilk and cherry, apricot and vanilla, rhubarb and meringue or mixed berries and pudding. You get the idea.

Rennsteig Trail

The Rennsteig Trail is arguably the most beautiful hiking trail in Thuringia, covering a total of 170 kilometres (106 miles) between Eisenach and Blankenstein. The path is split into eight sections, each of which can easily be completed within a day. Along the way, the ridge walk passes Wartburg Castle and Dragon Gorge, cuts through the Thuringian Forest, leads past picturesque lakes, traverses parts of the Franconian Forest and ends near the Bavarian border.

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All our travel guides are curated by the Culture Trip team working in tandem with local experts. From unique experiences to essential tips on how to make the most of your future travels, we’ve got you covered.

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11 Sights in Thuringia

Homepage > States > Thuringia > 11 Sights in Thuringia

Erfurt, Weimar, Eisenach - Thuringia has cultural cities with world-class treasures! A whole series of important personalities also come from the center of Germany, such as the composer Johann Sebastian Bach or the sociologist Max Weber. And the theologian Martin Luther literally made history here with his translation of the Bible. But the Free State not only experiences exciting history(s), researchers, poets, thinkers and creative people until today - Thuringia also delights and fascinates guests with its great natural landscapes. Eleven sights that you should not miss on a round trip:

Table of Contents: 1. the Wartburg and its significance 2. erfurt and its cultural treasures 3. Jena and the Zeiss Planetarium 4. Kochberg Castle Park - Johann Wolfgang and Charlotte 5 Weimar and the Bauhaus art epoch 6. Tiefurt Castle and Park - a place of art and music 7. nature park Thuringian Slate Mountains/Upper Saale - the reservoir area 8 Bad Langensalza - roses and festivals 9. light castle - the porcelain museum 10th Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes - visit stalactites and minerals 11. in the Hainich National Park - being very close to the crowns of the trees

The Wartburg and its significance

Noble residence, witness of the centuries, museum and event venue - the Wartburg near Eisenach serves(ed) many purposes. But above all, it is known today because of Martin Luther, St. Elizabeth and Richard Wagner. Wartburg Castle was also the first German castle to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, partly because of its importance in German history. Today you can visit the castle as well as the museum with famous paintings by Lucas Cranach from the Renaissance; he also portrayed the reformer Martin Luther several times. And a visit to Wartburg Castle is worth it for the unique view over the green expanses of the Thuringian Forest alone.

By train comfortably and without traffic jams to Eisenach: Plan arrival .

Erfurt and its cultural treasures

The High Cathedral Church of St. Mary, the Fish Market, the City Hall or the Krämer Bridge are part of the cityscape of Erfurt, which has one of the most beautiful old towns in Germany. And geographically, the capital of Thuringia borders the Steigerwald forest to the south and the Erfurt lakes to the north. Erfurt has a storied past, not least as far as Jewish life in the Middle Ages is concerned. A contemporary witness of this is the Old synagogue . The oldest parts of the building date back to the 11th century and it is also the oldest synagogue in Central Europe preserved up to the roof. Today you can visit it and discover the Jewish treasure of Erfurt in the cellar - which includes pieces of Gothic goldsmith's and silversmith's art.

By train comfortably and without traffic jams to Erfurt: Plan arrival .

Jena and the Zeiss Planetarium

Jena is located in the middle of the Saale valley, surrounded by forest and meadow landscapes as well as parks and castles. The city is known for its optics and precision engineering industry, which is why it is also called the city of light. Likewise, the poet Friedrich Schiller left his mark here: Today, the Schiller Garden House is open for tours. And the Jena Art Collection with over 5,000 works is also worth a visit. The JenTower has an observation deck at 128 meters and offers a wide view over the Saale valley. To crown it all, you can visit the Zeiss Planetarium visit. It is one of the first large planetariums in the world and has been in operation since 1926. Be fascinated by the various shows under the iron dome roof!

Take the train to Jena comfortably and without traffic jams: Plan arrival .

Kochberg Castle Park - Johann Wolfgang and Charlotte

At the foothills of the Thuringian Slate Mountains in Uhlstädt-Kirchhasel stands the Kochberg moated castle . It was there that the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe visited the baroness Charlotte von Stein - the two are said to have shared a kind of platonic love. But visitors come mainly for the six-hectare landscape park - an idyll on earth. Here you can discover a grotto, a viewing pavilion and a flower theater. Charlotte von Stein's eldest son Carl had the area designed; the work was finished in 1840. There is also a theater of lovers at Kochberg Castle, which performs works of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods.

By train comfortably and without traffic jams to Uhlstädt-Kirchhasel: Plan arrival .

Weimar and the art epoch Bauhaus

"The artist is an enhancement of the craftsman" was Walter Gropius' opinion in the Bauhaus Manifesto of 1918. The State Bauhaus was founded in Weimar - the Weimar sites are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Let budding architects, artists, civil engineers or cultural scientists act as your guides during a Bauhaus walk tell you all about the Bauhaus and the history of their university. And the city has even more highlights for you: In addition to Goethe's and Schiller's homes and the Duchess Anna Amalia Library, which are part of UNESCO's Classical Weimar World Heritage Site, there's also the House of the Weimar Republic, among other places. The permanent exhibition there reflects the exciting years of the first democracy on German soil and also makes interesting references to the present day.

Tiefurt Castle and Park - a place of art and music

Originally the Tiefurt Castle In 1781, Duchess Anna Amalia of Saxe-Weimar and Eisenach chose the estate - by then expanded into a palace - as her summer residence. She spent her time here with art and music; among others, Goethe, Herder, Wieland and Schiller were her guests. Today you can be a guest there and see the colorfully decorated wallpaper as well as the noble furniture and Anna Amalia's lyra guitar. An English landscape park was laid out in front of Tiefurt Castle: Meadows to the left and right of the Ilm River with shady trees, plus monuments and a temple to the muses - an ideal place to stroll and wander. Or how about a picnic on nice days to linger even longer?

By train comfortably and without traffic jams to Weimar: Plan arrival .

Thuringian Slate Mountains/Ober Saale Nature Park - the reservoir area

The Thuringian Slate Mountains/Ober Saale Nature Park is ideally suited for hiking and unwinding. The 74.4-kilometer Hohenwarte Reservoir Trail runs up and down challenging trails, through dense forest and along steep slopes to rocky lookout points on the Saale River. If you want to go hiking there - and not just strolling - take endurance and a bit of skill with you. The reservoir region on the Saale River is nicknamed the Sea of Thuringia. The fjord-like landscape has rich mixed, deciduous and coniferous forests, and along the route you'll pass museums, villages and natural monuments.

Bad Langensalza - roses and festivals

The exotic Japanese Garden, the Arboretum, the Botanical Garden or the Rose Garden belong to the Spa and Rose City Bad Langensalza . Accordingly, there are also festivals there, for example the cherry blossom festival Hanami, the children's day Kodomo no Hi or the star festival Tanabata. In total, the city has eleven different parks and themed gardens; palm trees and olive trees have been planted along the streets, and in the summer months, over 450 types of roses bloom in Bad Langensalza. In the city center, children can let off steam at Rumpelburg - an indoor and outdoor adventure world. Those who like to relax in peace can take advantage of the offers of the Friederiken Therme and switch off.

By train comfortably and without traffic jams to Bad Langensalza: Plan arrival .

Leuchtenburg - the porcelain museum

The nickname Queen of the Saale Valley is given to the Leuchtenburg rightly so: On the castle hill in Seitenroda it towers over the landscape of Thuringia and offers you a unique far view. The Leuchtenburg is one of the best preserved castles in Germany, because it has been used without interruption for various purposes since the year 1200; as a financial administration, prison, reformatory and poorhouse, youth hostel or hotel - and today as an excursion destination, among other things because of the interactive museum Porzellanwelten Leuchtenburg, which impresses with its diverse worlds of experience on the subject, and the exhibition Mythos Burg. In addition, a castle tavern provides for your catering and those who want it more extraordinary can book a knight's dinner with spectacle, jugglery and hearty menu.

By train and bus comfortably to Seitenroda: Plan arrival .

Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes - visiting stalactites and minerals

It sounds like a fairy tale, but it's true: young and old alike let their hair down in the Saalfeld fairy caves everyday life behind them and dive into a new world underground, in the corridors and cavities - which is magically illuminated to boot. There is, for example, the oldest healing gallery in Germany. The pure air there improves respiratory function and strengthens the immune system. During guided tours through the former mine, formerly called Jeremias Glück, you can learn more about the origin of the unique show caves, their dripstones and minerals. And then there's the Grottoneum museum, where children can playfully solve puzzles and take part in a knowledge rally, and the forest adventure trail.

By train comfortably and without traffic jams to Saalfeld: Plan arrival .

In the Hainich National Park - being very close to the crowns of the trees

Put on your comfortable shoes and off you go to the Treetop path to the Hainich; to Germany's largest contiguous deciduous forest with an area of 13,000 hectares! Since 2011, the forest has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and part of it has been designated as a national park. Beech trees grow here most frequently. A large part of the forest area was a restricted area of the military for decades and so nature was able to develop and grow freely. On the 44-meter-high observation platform and the 24-meter-high treetop path, you can peer over the canopy of a diverse habitat. Rangers and information boards inform you about the native plants and animals. Back on the ground, there's a root cave and adventure wilderness for kids to discover.

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Cover photo: The Goethe-Schiller monument stands in front of the German National Theater in Weimar © mojolo - stock.adobe.com

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11 Interesting & Beautiful Places to Visit in Thuringia

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Known as the “Green Heart of Germany”, the state of Thuringia offers visitors many natural places to explore, as well as exciting man-made attractions.

Thuringia is most known for its dense forests, walking trails and winter sports, but that’s not all there is to discover here!

In this list of beautiful places to visit in Thuringia, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite destinations in this underrated state, including fascinating cities and stunning castles.

We hope you enjoy our recommendations, and be sure to let us know in the comments if there are any Thuringia must-sees you would add to our list!

1. Erfurt & Its Merchant Bridge

The state capital of Erfurt is easily one of the best Thuringia attractions to explore, especially since it escaped WWII virtually unscathed.

Erfurt’s Old Town is one of the best-preserved in Germany, so it’s perfect for a wander around if you want to feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Enjoy seeing the medieval half-timbered houses and walk across the Krämerbrücke (Merchant Bridge), which is a medieval arch bridge lined with shops and houses.

Erfurt was once known as the “City of Towers” since it contained 25 parish churches, 15 abbeys and monasteries and ten chapels, all with lofty spires reaching to the heavens. Today St. Mary’s Cathedral and the Church of St. Severus are the most impressive examples of German Gothic architecture in the city.

Don’t miss out on Petersberg Citadel either, as it’s one of the largest and best-preserved town fortresses in Europe, surrounded by over two kilometres of stone walls.

2. Wartburg Castle

The unique Wartburg Castle is one of the most-visited Thuringia tourist attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site to boot.

It perches on a hilltop overlooking the town of Eisenach and is thought to have been an inspiration to Ludwig II when building Neuschwanstein.

Over the course of its lengthy history, Wartburg has served as a home for both Saint Elisabeth of Thuringia and Martin Luther (during his exile after being excommunicated by Pope Leo X).

Providing an overview of 1,000 years of German history, Wartburg was actually the first German castle to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and still draws visitors from all around the world to see the reconstructed interiors. As well as the castle museum, there are a number of art collections on display inside Wartburg, so be sure to pay it a visit if you get the chance!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR VISITING: Castle Wartburg is open every day but the opening and closing times vary seasonally so check the website before you plan your visit. The courtyard and grounds are free to visit while it costs €12 for adults to enter the museum.

Just 30 minutes from the capital of Erfurt, the town of Weimar is another one of the best places to visit in Thuringia, particularly if you are a fan of Goethe, art and/or castles.

Johan Wolfgang von Goethe is the most famous one-time resident of Weimar, living there from the age of 26 until his death at 82. Fans of his work can visit the Goethe Museum in his former home in order to see where this German playwright, poet, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic penned some of his most well-known works, including Faust .

Weimar has also been an important site for historical eras such as the German Enlightenment, the Weimar Classicism movement and the Bauhaus movement, leading to a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the city centre.

There are also many museums, palaces, castles and gardens to discover, particularly the Duchess Anna Amalia Library which houses works of German literature.

4. Kochberg Castle and Park

For castle lovers, Kochberg Castle and Park is another one of the prettiest places to see in Thuringia!

This picturesque castle was once the estate of the von Stein family, which also has connections to Goethe as he had a close relationship with Charlotte von Stein, and visited regularly. Parts of the castle date as far back as 1380 although the main building that can be seen today is from the 17th century.

Along with the preserved estate buildings, there’s also a unique amateur theatre that was built around 1800 and is still in use today. Surrounding the castle are charming kitchen gardens, meadows, fruit trees and a forested area with hidden ponds. Guests can have lunch at the on-site restaurant or just enjoy the castle grounds.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR VISITING: It’s free to enjoy the castle grounds and costs €5 for adults to enter the castle. In summer the castle is open Wednesday – Monday from 10am until 6pm but check the website for dates closer to your visit.

Gera is the third-largest city in Thuringia and was once one of the richest due to its booming cloth and fabric industry.

And while it may not be quite the industrial hub of years past, Gera still offers some beautiful sights, particularly the restored buildings which demonstrate examples of Gründerzeit architecture and modern-style Bauhaus buildings. The famous German painter Otto Dix was also born in Gera, with his former home now a museum dedicated to his life and works.

Other popular attractions in Gera include the magnificent art nouveau villa known as Haus Schulenburg which contains gorgeous paintings as well as its original furnishings. The Baroque Orangerie houses the Gera Art Collection and is surrounded by beautiful gardens that are free to enjoy.

Gera is also home to numerous stunning churches, including the neo-Gothic St John’s Church pictured below.

6. Saalfeld Fairy Grottos

One of the most unique Thuringia places to visit is the series of “fairy” grottos located in a former alum mine in Saalfeld.

These fairy grottos (known as Feengrotten in German) were naturally formed over hundreds of years, and when the caves were rediscovered in 1910, people spotted that some of the rock formations resembled fairies.

The sight is so unique that even the Guinness Book of World Records has listed the Feengrotten as the most colourful cave grottos in the world.

Today, the three main chambers are open to visitors who want to experience a magical world of caves, pools and theatrical lights illuminating rock formations that resemble a miniature fantasy land.

Above ground, there is also an enchanting fairy forest for children, as well as a museum about the grottos, places to eat and even a caravan park.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR VISITING: There are a number of ticket combos available so we recommend checking the website to see what works best for you. The Adventure World is usually open daily from 10am until 5pm, but again, make sure you check the website ahead of time.

7. Hainich National Park

Hainich National Park is one of the best natural places to visit in Thuringia, as well as another UNESCO-listed attraction to explore.

For the best views of some of Germany’s untouched primaeval beech forests head to the Canopy Walk (Baumkronenpfad im Nationalpark Hainich on Google Maps), which winds for 530 metres above the trees. There are info panels along the way to provide information about the area and its ecosystem.

If you want to guarantee a sighting of the shy wildcats that live in the park, head to the Wildcat Village Hütscheroda just on the edge of the National Park. There is information about the rescue project for these native cats as well as some cats in a large enclosure with a hiking trail and lookout point around it.

8. Bad Langensalza

Not only does Bad Langensalza possess a beautifully preserved Old Town area and multiple stunning gardens, but it’s also a historic spa town of Thuringia.

Sulphuric springs were discovered here in 1811 and opened as a tourist attraction in 1812, remaining a popular drawcard for visitors to Bad Langensalza to this day. The city was very prosperous, which can be seen in the walled and well-preserved Old Town. In fact, the city is part of the German Timber-Frame Road since it has so many medieval half-timbered houses to see.

Along with pretty medieval buildings and spas, Bad Langensalza boasts a multitude of incredible public gardens to enjoy. One of the most notable is the authentic Japanese Garden, although the rose garden (with on-site restaurant), magnolia garden, arboretum and botanical gardens are all stunning.

If you time your visit for August you can also experience the town’s medieval festival with locals in traditional dress as well as examples of medieval crafts, handwork, martial arts, food and music.

9. Schloss Belvedere

One of the most beautiful places in Thuringia is the 18th-century palace, Schloss Belvedere, which is located just outside of Weimar.

Not to be confused with the Belvedere Museum in Vienna, this German Belvedere was originally built as a pleasure palace for the Ducal family in Weimar and is now open to the public as a gorgeous museum.

Inside this 18th-century Baroque residence are opulent rooms housing a collection of art, crafts, porcelain and furniture.

The park and gardens surrounding the palace are also worth visiting for a stroll, particularly in spring or summer. There’s an English landscape garden, an Orangery and a maze, along with fountains, sculptures and an artificial ruin called the Great Grotto.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR VISITING: It’s free to wander in the palace park and gardens while entrance to the museum costs €7 for adults. Schloss Belvedere is open from 10am-6pm Tuesday to Sunday in summer, but check the website for opening times in other seasons.

10. Altenburg

While Altenburg is another lovely German town in Thuringia with historic architecture to see, it’s also home to a number of more unusual museums and attractions as well.

There are a number of beautiful sights in Altenburg, including the main market square, an open cobblestoned area lined with lovely buildings and watched over by the impressive red Brüderkirche (pictured below). Altenburg’s castle and the art of the Lindenau-Museum are also popular spots for visitors to enjoy.

The popular German card game known as Skat was also developed in Altenburg, leading the city to often be called playing cards town . And for those interested in this side of Altenburg, there is a playing card museum inside the castle.

Looking for more offbeat sights? One of the weirder things to see in Altenburg is the mummified rat king on display at the city’s museum of natural history.

… And, the city is also home to a brewery museum for those who are more into beer than dead rats!

As the second-largest city in the state, it’s not surprising that Jena is also home to one of the most interesting things to see in Thuringia, the oldest still-operating planetarium in the world.

The Zeiss-Planetarium was first opened in 1926 and projects the planets and fixed stars onto the inside of a white dome. There are plenty of other cool things to see in Jena besides the planetarium though, including a variety of museums, particularly the optical museum for those who are interested in optical instruments like glasses, microscopes, cameras and telescopes.

Jena is also home to one of the oldest botanic gardens in Germany (which is beautiful), a number of stunning churches, parts of the original city walls and the town hall’s astronomical clock.

The Jen Tower is the city’s highest skyscraper and contains a sky restaurant for a very romantic meal while enjoying views over the city!

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11 Top Attractions & Things to Do in Thuringia, Germany

11 Top Attractions & Things to Do in Thuringia, Germany

The Central German State of Thuringia is a place rich in culture, history, and scenic beauty. Thuringia has a wide variety of sites for tourists to discover, including picturesque parks, ancient castles, and ancient cities. Thuringia is located in the Saale drainage basin, a left-bank tributary of the Elbe, and is surrounded by Bavaria , Hesse, Lower Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt , and Saxony. In the late nineteenth century, people began calling Thuringia “The Green Heart of Germany” (das grüne Herz Deutschlands) because of its dense forest. This comprehensive guide will cover various topics, including Thuringia’s history, culture , tourist attractions , and landmarks.

History of Thuringia, Germany

The history of Thuringia is lengthy and extensive, stretching back to the Middle Ages. The Thuringii, who gave the area its name, were among the Germanic local groups who formerly called the area home. Thuringia was a hub of trade and business during the Middle Ages, with numerous towns and cities thriving. Notably, Erfurt  was a major trading hub in the Middle Ages, and its historic core is still intact today.

Culture of Thuringia

Thuringia was a part of East Germany in the 20th century, and World War II caused significant damage or destruction to many of the region’s historic sites. However, a lot of the region’s historic sites have been brought back to their former splendor in recent years thanks to major restoration and preservation efforts. Thuringia is home to numerous well-known people from the arts and sciences , demonstrating the region’s rich cultural legacy.

Thuringia is the birthplace of one of Germany’s most well-known authors and poets, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, whose old Weimar residence is now a museum honoring his life and contributions. Other notable Thuringian individuals include the painter Lucas Cranach the Elder, philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, and composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Thuringia holds the distinction of being the birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, one of Germany’s most renowned authors and poets.  Additionally, Thuringia boasts other notable figures such as the painter Lucas Cranach the Elder, philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, and composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

In addition, Thuringia is notable for its distinct cultural customs, which include its regional food , which includes filling German fare like potato dumplings, meat roulades, and sausages. Additionally, the area hosts several annual festivals and events , such as the Erfurt Christmas Market and the Bach Festival in Weimar.

Landmarks and Tourism

There are numerous well-liked tourist attractions in Thuringia, such as the following:

The ancient city of Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia, is a well-preserved ancient town. The stunning Gothic Erfurt Cathedral and the well-known half-timbered bridge, the Kraemerbruecke, are two of the city’s most visited sights.

A significant Thuringian cultural hub, Weimar is home to numerous landmarks and institutions honoring the rich cultural legacy of the area. The Goethe National Museum, the Bachhaus, and the Schloss Belvedere are a few of the well-liked sights in Weimar. However, Weimar’s cultural significance extends beyond these landmarks, making it a captivating destination for those eager to explore Thuringia’s cultural tapestry.

3. Thuringian Forest:

The Thuringian Forest is a well-liked location for outdoor pursuits including hiking and skiing. It is a scenic mountain range in Thuringia. Notably, a well-liked hiking location in the Thuringian Forest is the Drachenschlucht, a little narrow valley between hills and mountains.

4. The Buchenwald Memorial:

Honors the victims of the Nazi tyranny and is a memorial site located near Weimar.

5. Wartburg Castle:

A historic castle close to Eisenach, it’s connected to Ludwig the Springer’s life and German history.

6. Bachhaus:

The musician Johann Sebastian Bach formerly resided and worked in this historic Weimar home.

7. Schloss Friedenstein:

A museum with a collection of artwork, handicrafts, and furniture is housed in this baroque palace in Gotha.

8. Mittelpunkt Deutschland Regional Park:

A protected area in central Germany, containing different landscapes and recreational activities.

9. Deutscher mansion:

A historic merchant’s mansion in Zeitz, showcasing the region’s rich history and architecture.

10. St. Thomas Church:

A historically significant Leipzig church connected to the life and compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach

11. Museum of Fine Arts:

Located in Leipzig, this museum features a wide range of artwork, including pieces by masters of the Baroque and Renaissance periods.

Local Dishes and Specialties of  Thuringia, Germany 

1. thuringian rostbratwurst:.

A classic sausage filled into a fine pig casing that is seasoned with spices and made of pork or beef.

2. Thuringian Rostbrätel:

A typical meal in Thuringia is a roast with a black beer crust.

3. Thüringer Klöße:

A mainstay of Thuringian cuisine, these enormous potato dumplings are fashioned with shredded raw potatoes.

4. Weimar Onion Tart:

Table of Contents

5. Thuringian Rouladen:

A regional delicacy consisting of wrapped and liquid-cooked beef and veggies

6. Schwarzbier Krustenbraten:

Similar to Thuringian Rostbrätel, this roast has a black bread crust.

Thüringer Rouladen and Rostbratwurst are two of the region’s well-known sausages.

8. Wild game:

Due to the area’s long history of hunting, Thuringian cuisine frequently includes dishes made with wild game.

9. Deutscher:

Fried bread is used to make this classic Thuringian delicacy, which is typically accompanied by fresh fruit.

Thuringia’s favorite beverage is mulled wine, especially around the holidays. Erfurter Schnittchen is served at the stalls of the Erfurt Christmas Market together with a hot beverage. These delicacies highlight Thuringia’s varied and delectable culinary scene, making them essential eats for anybody traveling there.

Noteworthy Occasions of Thuringia

1. weihnachtsmarkt:.

Thuringia’s Christmas markets are well-known for their joyous ambiance, with a variety of stalls offering regional delicacies, drinks, and crafts.

2. Mittelaltermarkt Auf Schloss Wilhelmsburg:

Historical reenactments, craft exhibits, and entertainment are all part of this medieval celebration hosted at Schloss Wilhelmsburg.

3. Ritter Recken:

A folk festival with music, dancing, and regional cuisine honoring the area’s agricultural customs

4. The Onion Market (Zwiebelmarkts):

Thuringia’s main festival, the Onion Market, features dishes, soups, and desserts all centered around onions and celebrates the region’s crop.

5. Altstadtfest:

Thuringia’s well-known summer event, Altstadtfest, features dancing groups, music, and a variety of food and confectionery vendors.

6. Bach Festival:

This festival, which takes place around Easter, attracts music lovers from all over the world with more than 50 concerts held at historic Bach locations around Thuringia.

7. Rudolstadt Festival:

A celebration of the region’s cultural heritage , encompassing music, theater, and other artistic events

8. Sommergewinn Eisenach:

An annual summer celebration in Eisenach that features markets, concerts, and a range of outdoor activities.

9. Weimar Arts Festival:

An event that features new media, performance, and contemporary art by both domestic and foreign artists

10. Festival of Baroque at Friedenstein Castle Gotha:

A festival with acts and music from the Baroque era hosted at Friedenstein Castle in Gotha.

These celebrations and festivals give visitors a rare chance to immerse themselves in the customs and heritage of Thuringia while also offering a glimpse into the region’s rich cultural landscape.

Interesting Facts about Thuringia

• The Abrogans , an 8th-century Germanic language text, is the oldest extant text in Germanic language and comes from Thuringia.
• Spanning 170 kilometers along the mountain range’s ridge, the Rennsteig is a prominent hiking track situated in the Thuringian Forest. Additionally, the traditional Christmas markets in Thuringia are renowned, attracting tourists from all over the world.

Visitors can experience a wide variety of attractions in Thuringia , a region rich in natural beauty, history, and culture. Thuringia offers something for everyone, from beautiful landscapes and cultural sites to ancient cities and castles. Travelers wishing to experience central Germany should make Thuringia their destination of choice, regardless of their interests in history, culture, or outdoor activities.

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Thuringia – a relaxing holiday destination

A variety of landscapes, a fabulous wealth of castles and palaces, an unforgettable diversity of culture and architecture and so many fun things to do – this is what the holiday destination of Thuringia is all about. Nobody has managed to capture the beauty of Thuringia quite so pertinently as Goethe, who said: "Where else in Germany can you find so many wonderful things in such close proximity?"

Erfurt , Weimar , Eisenach and the list goes on... The towns and cities of Thuringia are well worth a visit with their blend of history and tradition, culture and leisure activities, the modern and the classic. In Weimar, named European City of Culture in 1999, the city's eventful past is reflected at virtually every turn. The Goethe–Schiller monument in front of the German National Theatre and a total of 27 museums have been attracting visitors in their swathes for generations. 16 remarkable buildings have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list and towns such as Erfurt, Jena, Eisenach, Altenburg, Meiningen and Gotha have a wealth of culture of their own. St. Mary's Cathedral and the Church of St. Severus on Domplatz square, Europe's longest fully preserved bridge lined with buildings ( Merchants' Bridge ) and the long-established ega garden exhibition are just some of the attractions in Erfurt. Art and culture in Thuringia are closely connected to the work of leading figures on the German cultural and intellectual scene. Museums, theatres, exhibitions and concert halls are alive with the spirits of writers Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller, composer Johann Sebastian Bach and painters Lucas Cranach and Otto Dix.

As the city of Eisenach's main landmark, Wartburg Castle is the most famous castle in the whole of Thuringia. Since 1999, it has been on the elite list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There are no end of idyllic palaces and Medieval castles alongside the world-famous Wartburg Castle, Friedenstein Palace in Gotha and the Dornburg Castles.

Many of them authentically recall the Reformation and Martin Luther – as do abbeys and churches in the area. After all, Thuringia is closely associated with Luther's life. He lived as a monk in St. Augustine's Monastery in Erfurt between 1505 and 1512. He translated the New Testament into German at Wartburg Castle in Eisenach and he stayed in Schmalkalden whilst forging the Protestant alliance against the Catholic Emperor.

As a top holiday destination for active sporty types, Thuringia has so much more to offer keen walkers than just the Rennsteig trail . 16,000 kilometres of signposted hiking trails, 22 certified trails and more than 80 premium accommodation providers are enough to attract any hiking enthusiast. And cyclists will be in their element too, thanks to the 13 long-distance cycle paths running alongside rivers, through towns and amidst stunning natural settings.

It goes without saying that Thuringia is a hub for winter sports, thanks in part to the many well-known top athletes based there. Crisp winter air, snow-covered forests and mountains, ski runs, cross-country ski trails and downhill ski pistes transform this holiday destination into a little winter sports paradise.

A wealth of natural remedies such as saltwater and sulphur springs, mud, minerals and, of course, the mild climate have all helped Thuringia gain its long-standing reputation as a centre for spa resorts. 19 spas and health resorts with rehabilitation clinics, thermal baths, adventure pools, wellness packages, hiking trails and cycle paths all ensure that visitors are rested and relaxed.

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Erfurt, Weimar & Thuringia

A land of forested hills, fertile plains and fabled fortresses, Thuringia sits at Germany’s geographic heart. With cities of genuine historical heft sitting alongside World Heritage Sites like the unforgettable Wartburg fortress, it’s a famous destination for domestic travellers. And no wonder: forever associated with immortal names such as Luther, Bach, Goethe, Schiller, Cranach, Wagner and Gropius, it can seriously claim to be one of Germany's most fertile cultural cradles.

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Gedenkstätte Buchenwald

Between 1937 and 1945, hidden from Weimarers and surrounding villagers, 250,000 men, women and children were incarcerated here, some 56,500 of whom were…

Schloss Friedenstein

This horseshoe-shaped palace, surviving in exemplary condition as the largest early baroque palace in Germany, is a lavish, creaky-floored delight. Much…

Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek

Assembled by Duchess Anna Amalia (1739–1807), the power (and purse) behind Weimar's classical florescence, this Unesco-listed library has been beautifully…

Zitadelle Petersberg

Situated on the Petersberg hill northwest of Domplatz, this 36-hectare citadel ranks among Europe’s largest and best-preserved baroque fortresses. While…

Erfurter Dom

Erfurt's cathedral, where Martin Luther was ordained a priest, grew over the centuries from a simple 8th-century chapel into the stately Gothic pile of…

Goethe-Nationalmuseum

This is the world's leading museum on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's literary colossus. It incorporates his home of 50 years, gifted by Duke Carl…

Schloss Tiefurt

Built in 1765 and developed by the younger brother of Duke Carl August, this Unesco-listed country house flowered under the ownership of Duchess Anna…

Augustinerkloster

It’s Luther lore galore at the monastery where the reformer lived from 1505 to 1511, where he was ordained as a monk and where he read his first Mass. You…

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Culturally as much as geographically Thuringia (Thüringen) is the heartland of Germany. When the Iron Curtain pulled back, West Germans were relieved to find the nation’s “green heart” was spared the social realism of which the GDR was so fond. It remains the sort of place Germans have in mind when they talk of Früher , a time past when things were less complicated – a bucolic state where slow travel rules, and no city is over 200,000 people.

The Kyffhäuser

The saale valley, thuringian forest.

The surprise, then, is that were there a competition to decide Germany’s cultural big-hitter , flyweight Thuringia would be a finalist. This is a state of Martin Luther, Bach and Schiller . More than anyone else it is the state of Goethe .

With nowhere more than a couple of hours’ drive away, Thuringia is touring country par excellence. Factor in scenic backroads that slalom through valleys and you have a bucolic state that is all about a finger on the steering wheel, sunshine-sounds on the stereo and the gentle art of pottering about, whether in small towns or on trails. Slow travel has never been so much fun.

As ever, the reason Thuringia punches far above its weight is historical. As the ruling Saxon House of Wettin bequeathed land equally between male heirs, an area that was far from large to begin with fragmented into a mosaic of small duchies – Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Gotha, for example, or Saxe-Coburg, better known in Britain as the House of Windsor. An upshot of these tin-pot fiefdoms was an arts race that saw the area’s dukes woo the finest musicians, painters, poets and philosophers to their courts as testament to their learning and magnificence.

Nowhere expresses this better than Weimar , a Thuringia-in-microcosm that lobbed the intellectual atom-bomb of the German Enlightenment, whose shockwaves were felt throughout Europe. Most cities would struggle to make such an impact, let alone a small, courtly town. Adjacent Jena has maintained its academic tradition and the student nightlife that goes with it, while Gotha and especially Eisenach have a cultural weight far above their modest size. The state capital is Erfurt , Luther’s university city and perhaps the most underrated capital in Germany thanks to its marriage of historic looks and university dynamism.

The Thuringian Forest to the south could not be more different. This is the state’s rural core, whose sleepy villages are tucked into the folds of an upland blessed by good walking and cycling trails. You can lose a happy week crisscrossing the area by bike on labelled routes or journey through its heart on the well-marked 168km Rennsteig , which traverses it. The state’s many green landscapes also include the Saale Valley at the eastern fringe of the forest region, and the Kyffhäuser uplands to the north, site of the sixteenth-century Peasants’ War sparked in the overlooked historic town of Mühlhausen .

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Few towns in Thuringia have suffered from reunification like Altenburg at Thuringia’s eastern limits. Once drip-fed by GDR finances, the town has slipped into stagnation as its population and wealth is sucked out by West Saxony’s dynamic duo Leipzig and Zwickau. Only the architecture and art attest to its former status as the once-glorious Residenzstadt of the Saxe-Altenburg duchy. It was during that period that Altenburg achieved its secondary boast as the cradle of Skat , Germany’s favourite card game whose rules were honed by court intellectuals in the early 1800s. “My five months’ stay in Altenburg gave me more mental and social experience than that gained by many a human being during the whole span of life,” one F.A. Brockhaus exclaimed, though he also enthused about editing dictionaries. Today Altenburg is the home of the Skatgericht, court of arbitration on all things Skat, and Germany’s largest manufacturer of playing cards, ASS Altenburger. All very nice, yet it’s the ducal Schloss and an art museum that make it a worthwhile pause en route to other destinations.

Small in stature, Eisenach , 30km west of Gotha, abounds with the big hitters of German culture. It is the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach and the refuge from which Martin Luther shaped German Protestantism. Goethe and – with a bit of poetic licence – Wagner get a look in, too, thanks to the Wartburg , not just a UNESCO-listed castle whose thirteenth-century court inspired an opera, Tannhäuser , but a cradle of culture that’s hard-wired into the national psyche. Indeed, such is the heavyweight punch of the small town that everyone rather overlooks the fact that Eisenach is also an amiable place which wears its cultural legacy lightly, not to mention a good launch-pad from which to explore the Thuringian Forest just south. Its compact Altstadt is best enjoyed at walking pace – and as the town is on every coach-tour itinerary in Thuringia you may not have any choice about it.

The Wartburg

Few German cities possess so potent an icon as the UNESCO-listed Wartburg , which commands a hill top south of the Altstadt. The story goes that founder Ludwig der Springer, impressed by the landscape on a hunt, cried, “Wait, mountain [Wart’ Burg!], you shall have my castle!”, a good yarn that overlooks an early watchtower (Warte). First mentioned in 1080, the castle was beefed up after Landgrave Ludwig II married into the family of mighty Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and was then tinkered with by members of the dynasty thereafter. Consequently it peels back along its ridge like a picture-book composite of German castles, best appreciated from a lookout uphill from the Torhaus gatehouse.

Laid over this architectural encyclopedia is the revivalist fetishizing of the past in vogue during its renovation in the 1840s. Indeed, it is only Goethe’s perception that the site was significant to German identity that stopped the complex being left to collapse. You’re free to wander about the twin courtyards or ascend the Südturm , the only watchtower preserved from the medieval castle, for views over the complex and the Thuringian Forest beyond. It’s a stiff forty-minute walk from the Altstadt to the Wartburg, much of it uphill: southeast of the Predigerkirche, is the most direct route, a woodland path off Reuterweg, near Reuter-Villa, the most atmospheric. And word of warning: crowds are heavy on high-summer weekends.

The Palas , the oldest and most architecturally impressive building of the Wartburg, is accessed on tours. Its early Romanesque rooms are canopied by vaults that umbrella from a single column capped with inventive (if reproduction) capitals. Those that most catch the eye are the quarters that have been rather over zealously restored as a paean to medieval roots: former women’s quarters the Elisabeth Room , which shimmers in a skin of faux-Byzantine mosaics (1902), or the Elisabeth Gallery and Hall of Minstrels that inspired Wagner, both frescoed with rich medieval-esque images by Romantic painter Moritz von Schwind. Then there’s the gloriously over-the-top Festsaal , the venue in which student fraternities laid down a gauntlet to the ruling elite in 1817 (see The Wartburg: cradle of culture). So impressed was “Mad” Bavarian king Ludwig II by this coffered banqueting hall that he commissioned a replica for Schloss Neuschwanstein.

It was Goethe’s idea to turn the Schloss into a museum of medieval exhibits at a time when Germany was redisovering its heritage. Today the small museum in women’s quarters the Neu Kemenate displays a small hoard of Wartburg treasure and Reformation-era art, notably portraits by Cranach, including one of Martin Luther, and a cabinet carved with intricate scenes inspired by the prints of Albrecht Dürer.

The Lutherstube

From the museum, tours continue to the Lutherstube . It was in this simple room that Martin Luther, then excommunicated and in hiding as squire Junker Jörg, toiled over a German translation of the New Testament. They say he hurled his inkpot at a devil that appeared to prevent his labours, which is why there is a patch of bare masonry in one corner – the wood panels have been chipped away by centuries of souvenir-hunters.

The Wartburg: cradle of culture

The Wartburg dominates German culture as much as it commands Eisenach’s skyline. It has its own saint for a start, St Elisabeth, a thirteenth-century Hungarian princess, betrothed to Landgrave Ludwig IV, who renounced courtly splendour to pursue an ascetic life caring for the sick. It was some court to snub, too. At the time Wartburg was considered to be one of the richest arts centres in Europe. The finest troubadour of his generation, Walther von der Vogelweide, clashed with Parsifal author Wolfram von Eschenbach in the celebrated Contest of Minstrels sing-offs; the winner of the six-strong Battle of the Bards met with princely favour, the loser the hangman’s noose.

Arguably, the most significant moment in the Wartburg’s history, though, was the arrival of Martin Luther in May 1521. Excommunicated and declared a heretic for refusing to renounce his doctrine at the Diet of Worms, the renegade priest was kidnapped by order of Saxony Elector Frederick the Wise and protected within the Wartburg’s mighty walls. The former cleanly shaven, tonsured monk remained incognito as bearded, tousle-haired Junker Jörg (Squire George) while he toiled for fourteen months over the first translation of the New Testament from Greek into the vernacular. For German Protestants that makes the Wartburg a holy of holies. For everyone else, Luther simultaneously propelled German into a modern language.

On October 18, 1817, five hundred students from eleven German universities met to celebrate a Wartburgfest. The jollies morphed into a rallying call for unity delivered to a nation of petty fiefdoms, and the first demand for democratic rights delivered to its ducal rulers. And when students of Jena university hoisted their fraternity flag above the fireplace, Germany found the black, red and gold colours for its future national flag. A darker upshot was that the Nazis cited as an inspiration their book-burning of Napoleonic works.

"Erfurt is a honeypot. A town would have to stand here even if the city had just been razed to the ground." So mused Martin Luther, the most famous resident of Thuringia’s state capital. While the father of the Reformation could also have acclaimed it as a fine little city bursting with character, ever the pragmatist, he got to the nub because a location at the heart of Germany – and Europe – was the making of ERFURT . While profits from woad helped fill coffers, its drip-feeds of finance were trade routes east–west from Paris to Russian city Novgorod, and north–south from the Baltic to Italy. Such was its wealth that the medieval city was hailed as “Efurtia turrita” because of its ninety spires.

With the merchants came progressive ideas and liberal attitudes. Luther’s free thinking was nurtured at Erfurt’s prestigious university, renowned as a cradle of humanism. Centuries later, in 1970, open-minded Erfurt hosted ice-breaker Ostpolitik talks between West and East Germany. Though the largest city in Thuringia, Erfurt is pocket-sized, its easygoing Altstadt a traditional German townscape of the sort largely obliterated elsewhere by bombs and developers, and with a dynamo university that adds a sheen of modern style and passable nightlife. Put the two together and what’s not to like? Few honeypots taste sweeter.

Erfurt has few set pieces; it’s as an ensemble that the city impresses, with any street in the centre worth exploring, especially as you can walk from one side to the other in about twenty minutes. The axes of Erfurt’s central Altstadt are the Episcopal powerbase Domplatz ; Fischmarkt , the civic heart; and Anger , a broad plaza at the head of the shopping streets. North of the centre in the studenty Andreasviertel and around the Augustinerkloster are especially photogenic quarters. Drop the map and explore by instinct.

Vintage travel books acclaim GOTHA as the richest and most attractive town in Thuringia. Leaving aside the question of whether their authors had visited Weimar or Erfurt 25km east, it remains a handsome if low-key small town whose looks were buffed in the eighteenth century as the courtly residence of the House of Saxe-Coburg, the dynasty better known in Britain as the House of Windsor – the British royals sensed the public mood during war with Germany and rebranded itself in 1917.

The legacy of that glorious heyday is Schloss Friedenstein , the main reason to visit just as it was for Voltaire or Goethe and pals during the Enlightenment, its collections just as erudite. However, the town also serves as a handy gateway to the Thuringian Forest – and if first impressions count there are few better ways to arrive than by historic tram, the Thüringerwaldbahn, which departs from Gotha’s Bahnhof.

JENA , the next stop east from Weimar, is another university town that hothoused Classicism under Goethe and Schiller. Thereafter the similarities end. If Weimar is all about arts and culture, Jena is a centre of science nurtured over a long history of university research – the town has 23,000 students and one in four of the population is connected with the university. Jena is also less precious about its looks than Weimar – the Altstadt was pounded by the Allies, then GDR urban-planners embarked on some architectural vandalism of their own.

Restoration has returned pockets of charm and the setting in a bowl of wooded hills appeals, but neither is the point. Anyone of a scientific mindset will enjoy its museums while the nightlife is only bettered in Thuringia by Erfurt. All Jena’s sights are within easy walking distance from the centre. To attempt the lot in a day, however, you’re best off renting bikes.

Greatness nipped in the bud characterizes MÜHLHAUSEN . A former medieval free imperial city visited by kings and emperors, it is now bypassed by tourists on a pilgrimage to the Eisenach–Erfurt–Weimar holy trinity, although a lack of visitors only adds to the atmosphere of the Altstadt, a mazey oval of cobbled alleys ringed by one of the few extant medieval city walls in Germany. Its place in history books is as the hotbed of the Peasants’ War of 1525, sparked by its renegade priest Thomas Müntzer.

A social radical who despised Lutheran doctrine with the same passion as Catholicism, he led eight thousand farmers into battle against the princes at Frankenhausen with the rallying cry that God was on their side. Apparently not. Utterly defeated then tortured, Müntzer was decapitated in his home town, something which saw him held up as a proto-Marxist hero by GDR authorities and placed on the 5 Mark note. They conveniently overlooked the fact that Müntzer interpreted the defeat as God’s judgement on an unworthy populace. Mühlhausen may have quietly dropped the “Thomas-Müntzer-Stadt” label, but its early hero remains the star.

Thuringia heaps up unexpectedly in its northern reaches as the Kyffhäuser . While it requires an optimist to describe these wooded sandstone uplands as mountains – no peak in a sixty-square-kilometre extension of the Harz range is above 480m – their low-lying nature and lack of development make for pleasant walking country. The range also holds a special place in the nation’s psyche as the resting place of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. Possibly.

Fact – or at least historical chronicles – record that the mighty twelfth-century German king and Holy Roman Emperor challenged papal authority to establish German predominance in Western Europe before he drowned in the Holy Land in 1190. Legend, however, counters that “Red Beard” slumbers deep within a Kyffhäuser mountain and will one day awaken to lead the united German people to victory against their enemies. It is, as the marketing board never tires of saying, where Barbarossa dreams. In more recent history Thomas Müntzer’s peasants’ revolution was swatted aside on the flanks of the Kyffhäuser in 1525.

Steep wooded slopes channel the meadows of the Saale Valley , which runs to the cultured, former ducal town of Rudolstadt , 37km southwest of Jena. That it’s largely flat makes this one of the easiest sections of the long-distance Saale Cycle Route (saale-radwanderweg.de), which slaloms along the valley for 200km from Kaatschen-Weichau to Sparnberg on the border of Bavaria. The E3 long-distance hiking route also traverses the area, taking in the Schwarza Valley . Slower but more adventurous is to canoe the lazy meanders of the thickly wooded river valley. Source tourism booklet Wasserwandern auf der Saale for itineraries of the trip – the full route will take around ten days – plus details of boat hire, slipways and campsites en route.

Trains run from Jena to Saalfeld , while as regards information , the valley is covered by the regional tourism board of the Thuringian Forest even though it lies outside the official boundaries.

Much of Thuringia’s acclaim as the green heart of Germany is due to the THURINGIAN FOREST (Thüringer Wald). Around two-thirds of the upland region of the state’s southwest – 135km from Eisenach west to the A9 east, 35km north to south and 982m at its highest point – is thickly cloaked in pines interspersed with mixed forest or highland meadow, and irrigated by countless streams.

Germans have celebrated its landscapes at least since Goethe rambled around Ilmenau , and its romantic villages with cottage workshops do little to dispel the illusion of an area that’s a timewarp back a few decades. Indeed, the ambience is more of a draw than sights in the few towns: modest spa-town Friedrichroda , sleepy Schmalkalden , its Altstadt a fairytale of half-timbered buildings, or former courtly town Meiningen , repository of the area’s high culture, such as it is.

With your own transport this is touring country, a place to potter around pretty villages. Without, getting around is best by the Süd Thüringen Bahn (sued-thueringen-bahn.de), which loops from Eisenach to Erfurt via Meiningen, with branch-lines to Schmalkaden. However, the region is superb to explore by foot and bike. With five or six days spare you could take to one of Germany’s most famous long-distance paths, the Rennsteig , along the highlands’ spine. Regional tourism website www.thueringer-wald.com is handy for planning if your German’s up to it.

If you go down to the woods: the Rennsteig and other activities

Germany’s most popular trail is the Rennsteig ridgeway that slices west–east through the Thuringian Forest. Its 168km path along the region’s uplands, from Hörschel near Eisenach to Blankenstein on the River Saale, was a messenger route in the Middle Ages, and in the nineteenth century acquired a cachet as a symbol of national unity because it both formed the border of, and ran through, a patchwork of petty principalities. It still forms a border of sorts – Thuringians argue over whether the state’s best sausages are produced north or south of it.

If fit, you could do “Der Runst”, as the Rennsteig is colloquially known, in five days’ hiking, stopping at villages overnight and dodging the wild boar that root in the woods. It’s more enjoyable if you take six. Sections of it make good day-hikes – the route ascends over Grosser Inselberg near Friedrichroda – and the 30km and 15km at either end with the greatest altitude differences, are favoured by cyclists on a parallel mountain-bike trail.

Kompass’s 1:50,000 Rennsteig map (no. 118) covers both routes and is available from tourist offices throughout the region. An alternative if cycling is to follow part of the north–south 300km Werratal-Radweg (werratal.de) that tracks the Werra River west of Eisenach to Meiningen and beyond.

The area usually receives a good dump of snow in winter. The focus for skiing is a 2km piste on Grosser Inselberg. For ski rental and lessons go to Sport Hellmann (036259 508 52, sport-hellmann.de) at Lauchagrundstr. 13, Tabarz. In the east Thuringian Forest, skiing is at Steinach at the Skiarena Siblersattel (silbersattel.de). In summer, this renames itself Bikepark and reinvents the pistes as downhill cycle trails for kamikaze mountain-bikers.

Though modest in size, WEIMAR is the spiritual capital of German culture. A young Robert Schumann noted in his diary, “Germans are powerfully drawn to Weimar”, and like those to Stratford in England they are not idle tourists so much as aesthete pilgrims come to revere a pantheon of intellectual and artistic saints. Saxe-Weimar dukes were patrons of Lucas Cranach and Johann Sebastian Bach as an overture to the town’s finest hour in the late eighteenth century.

During the rule of aesthete duke Carl August (1757–1828), the court capital was an intellectual hothouse of rare talents such as dramatist Friedrich Schiller, poet Christoph-Martin Wieland, theologian Johann Gottfried Herder and, more than anyone else, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The city flowered as the home of the German Enlightenment whose beauty and ideas astounded Europe. Later names in the roll call of honour include Franz Liszt, Richard Strauss, Friedrich Nietzsche and Bauhaus founders Walter Gropius, Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky. The town’s name is also synonymous with the ill-fated Weimar Republic of post-imperial Germany.

Weimar is the museum city par excellence whose every street is steeped in a revered past. Thankfully it is charming, too, thanks to frantic efforts to buff up its looks as European City of Culture in 1999. Definitively small-scale, notwithstanding the handsome Park an der Ilm south and the odd gallery, almost everything worth seeing lies within a ten-minute radius of the Markt in the lattice of streets bound to the north by Graben , track of a medieval moat, and to the south by Steubenstrasse . Here you’ll find first-rate art in the ducal Schloss, a gorgeous Rococo library, the Herzogin-Anna-Amalia-Bibliothek , and Goethe’s house . Erudite stuff and proof that Weimar most rewards those who apply their minds – others may find it rather provincial.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

No figure commands German culture like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1748–1832). A lazy comparison is often made to Shakespeare, which underplays the achievements of the last great Renaissance man of European culture. Not content with producing some of the most insightful drama in the German language, Goethe penned poetry, novels, travelogues and short stories, as well as philosophical essays and treatises on theology, humanism and science.

His influence on German philosophy is incalculable. Indeed, he didn’t see himself as a writer and proposed near his death that he would be remembered for his Theory of Colours treatise. “As to what I have done as a poet … I take no pride in it,” he said, “but that in my century I am the only person who knows the truth in the difficult science of colours – of that I am not a little proud.” Misguidedly so as it turned out: the hypothesis suggested that darkness is not an absence of light but a polar opposite that interacts with it, with colour arising where the two flow together. Modern science has rebuffed his theory, but the idea was popular with artists such as Turner and Kandinsky.

The Frankfurt-born son of a wealthy family, Goethe trained as a lawyer but found fame in 1774 as the 26-year-old novelist of The Sorrows of Young Werther . Its semi-autobiographical tale of obsessive love not only became the best seller of the proto-Romantic Sturm und Drang movement, it so wowed 18-year-old Carl August that the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach took on Goethe as a court adviser in 1775. Goethe would remain there until his death, though paradoxically he was so wrapped up in official duties and science that literature went onto the back burner for that first decade.

It was an Italian holiday from 1786 that rekindled his creative spark (and also sent countless young Germans who read his Italian Journey mooning around Italy). On his return two years later he teamed up with Schiller to continue his major prose achievement, Wilhelm Meister , a six-novel cycle. He also began the work on the two-part lyric drama, Faust , which he would tinker with until his death. Ostensibly a narrative of the classic legend, his dramatic masterpiece strives to lay bare the soul of Western society. Small wonder that when Berlin erected its “Walk of Ideas”, a 12m-high stack of books on Bebelplatz in 2006, all the illustrious names of German literature rested on a single giant tome of Goethe’s.

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Top Things to Do in Thuringia, Germany - Thuringia Must-See Attractions

Things to do in thuringia.

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• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
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• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

61. Wittumspalais

62. Napoleonstein

63. Tiergehege Zeulenroda-Triebes

64. Lutherhaus

65. Modellbahn-Wiehe

66. Schloss und Park Tiefurt

67. Fahrzeugmuseum Suhl

68. Augustinerkloster

69. Bunkermuseum am Rennsteig

70. Historische Geraër Höhler

71. Nordhauser Traditionsbrennerei

72. Goethe Schiller Denkmal

73. Schloss Elisabethenburg

74. Porzellanwelten

75. Theaterplatz

76. Hanstein Castle (Burgruine Hanstein)

77. Besucherbergwerk Huhn

78. Haus der Weimarer Republik - Forum für Demokratie

79. Herzogliches Museum

80. Deutsches Optisches Museum

81. Dornburger Schlösser

82. Stadtmauer

83. Kasematten von Schloss Friedenstein

84. Georgenkirche

85. Schillers Gartenhaus

86. Inselzoo

87. Skultur "Bernd das Brot"

88. Suhler Tierpark

89. Japanischer Garten

90. Bach-Kirche Divi Blasii

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Top Things to Do in Thuringia, Germany

Things to do in thuringia, explore popular experiences, popular cities in thuringia.

Ways to tour Thuringia

Weimar Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide

Weimar - Private Historic Walking Tour

Segway tour in Etzelsbach with Eichsfeld breakfast

City game scavenger hunt Erfurt - independent city tour I discovery tour

Eisenach - Guided Tour of Old Town

Eisenach Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide

Segway tour around the Werra horseshoe

Stadtspiel scavenger hunt Weimar - independent city tour I discovery tour

Iron curtain / green ribbon kayak tour

Erfurt Private Guided Walking Tour

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Drachenschlucht

Hiking Highlight ( Segment )

After three weeks of hiking in Thuringia, I can say that this is the most beautiful natural spectacle I have seen. Great how the path meanders through the moss-covered rocks of the gorge.

Hiking Highlight

We started early and almost had the gorge to ourselves. Not only an absolute highlight for children - high rocks, water and plants form a unique backdrop.

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Get recommendations on the best single tracks, peaks, & plenty of other exciting outdoor places.

Those who like castles like the Wartburg! Hardly any other castle is so connected to German history. The most famous sleeping guests, since Ludwig the Springer was founded in 1067, … read more

Landgrafenschlucht

The Landgrafenschlucht is very attractive and you can easily combine it as a circular route with the Drachenschlucht.

Engste Stelle der Drachenschlucht

The narrowest point of the Drachenschlucht is 68 cm.

Großer Inselsberg

From the highest point of the western Thuringian Forest and the highest point of the Rennsteig you have a fantastic view of the surrounding area. From the 21 meter high … read more

Schneekopf (Touringen stamp point no. 68)

Here at 978 m you have a really great all-round view of other peaks in the Thuringian Forest and the Rhön, up to the Ettersberg near Weimar and Oberhof. With … read more

On the Kickelhahn there is a lookout tower from 1855, a Telekom tower, a transmission mast, the Goethe house, the foundations of a hunting lodge and a restaurant. South of … read more

Elfengrotte

The fairytale Elfengrotte - a geological natural monument and biotope with a small waterfall and a sea of ferns. Of course you can stay here on the bench and let … read more

View of the Wartburg!

If you come up the ascent path, just before the castle gate of the Wartburg, a small cul-de-sac branches off to the right. Past the cannons you come to a … read more

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Are you keen on exploring more awesome places nearby? Browse our guides:

• Altenburger Land
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• Saale-Holzland-Kreis
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• Thuringian Forest
• Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis
• Schmalkalden-Meiningen

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Top Thuringia Attractions

Things to do in thuringia, explore popular experiences, popular cities in thuringia.

Ways to tour Thuringia

Weimar Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide

Weimar - Private Historic Walking Tour

Segway tour in Etzelsbach with Eichsfeld breakfast

City game scavenger hunt Erfurt - independent city tour I discovery tour

Eisenach - Guided Tour of Old Town

Eisenach Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide

Segway tour around the Werra horseshoe

Stadtspiel scavenger hunt Weimar - independent city tour I discovery tour

Iron curtain / green ribbon kayak tour

Erfurt Private Guided Walking Tour

Top attractions in thuringia.

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