Thuringia – Hiking and Lodging of Premium Quality

Thuringia, the green heart of Germany, is an ideal place for hiking:

Breathtaking landscapes with mountains of up to 3,000 feet high, endless lovely meadows and woods, and nature parks such as the Thuringian Forest or the Hainich National Park with its famous treetop trail, captivate visitors with their beauty.

Altogether, Thuringia offers 12,000 miles of hiking paths including ten certified premium trails. 70 premium hotels along the routes have been certified as qualified accommodations for hikers. The most famous trail is the „Rennsteig“. With 1,200 years of history and a total distance of approx. 120 miles, it takes hikers along the ridge of the Thuringian Forest for up to seven days.

The unique link between nature and cultural heritage makes hiking in Thuringia extraordinary and unique. In the footsteps of world known personalities such as Goethe or Bach, hikers get to know the German Classics, and German-German history can be experienced whilst hiking the premium path “Point Alpha” along the inner-German border to a former US Army observation post.

Rennsteig

The probably best-known high-level hiking trail in Germany is 168.3 kilometres long and has been attracting nature lovers and hiking enthusiasts to Thuringia from far and near for 700 years now. You will marvel at the varied flora and fauna and breathe the pure mountain air. On both sides of the trail, there are fascinating historical, geological and botanical features just waiting to be discovered. When it was certified as a “Quality Trail – Walking Through Germany”, alternative routes to the Rennsteig were created with a total length of 23 km.

From Bach to Goethe

A 25-kilometre long hiking trail links the two largest towns in Ilm County. Whether you walk from Ilmenau to Arnstadt or vice versa, it is a hike through a varied landscape of hills and mountains, dominated by old mixed woods and beech woods. It runs through three recognised nature reserves with magnificent panoramic views of the valley of the Wilde Gera, the heights of the Thuringian Forest and the picturesque Wipfra valley. This trail joins the 20-kilometre Goethe Hiking Trail in Ilmenau. In a unique way, it is a combination of culture and nature.

Goethe Hiking Trail

The Ilmenau marketplace is the starting point of the Goethe Hiking Trail, a very special route which certainly deserves its “Quality Trail” quality seal. It runs for 20 kilometres from Goethe to Goethe, from the Amtshaus in Ilmenau to the Goethe House in Stützerbach.
This trail is the pedestrian link between the major places associated with Goethe in the Ilmenau area. It connects three Goethe Museums and is both a hiking and a cultural experience.

SaaleHorizontale

The SaaleHorizontale is 70 kilometres of pure hiking pleasure. The route runs on narrow paths through steep shell-limestone slopes. Although it is in the direct vicinity of the town, it provides spectacular views of both the delightful Saale valley, with villages, fortresses and castles, and the tradition-rich university town of Jena.

Kyffhäuser Trail

The Kyffhäuser Trail is in the Kyffhäuser Nature Park and includes the most beautiful landscapes and tourist attractions in the Kyffhäuser Mountains, the smallest low mountain range in Germany. It runs in the south and south-west in the zechstein belt and so is also of geological interest.

The High Rhöner

The treeless heights with their wide-reaching views make this “land of open distances” a unique paradise for hikers.
An ambitious target has been achieved here, namely the creation of a premium trail “The High Rhöner”.
It runs for 180 kilometres across three state boundaries (Bavaria, Hesse and Thuringia) from the world-famous spa town of Bad Kissingen to the brine spa of Bad Salzungen, traversing the Rhön biosphere reserve at the heart of Germany. It takes you over the highest points in the low mountain range – the Wasserkuppe, Kreuzberg, Heidelstein and Ellenbogen.

Peak Hiking Trail

Limits are waiting to be exceeded and superlatives are always a great attraction! In the Thuringian Forest, the 900-metre mark is both of these. On a 30-kilometre tour from the crossroads between Schmiedefeld and Suhl to the Goldlauter ski chalet, seven 900-metre peaks can be ascended at one go! And as if that wasn’t enough in the way of records – hikers reach the highest point in Thuringia too, on Beerberg mountain. From the Schneekopf peak, you can see Germany’s largest arched bridge over the valley of the Wilde Gera and its summit plateau once housed the last base of Russian armed forces in Germany.

Schwarza Valley Panorama Trail

Via romantic tracks and paths, the Schwarza Valley Panorama Trail, which has been awarded the “Quality Trail” seal, links the Rennsteig with the fortress country of the River Saale. Over a distance of 135 km, high summits with magnificent views alternate with lonely woods and colourful meadows of flowers through which clear streams flow.

Leine-Werra Nature Park Trail

The Leine-Werra hiking trail runs for 100 km from the River Leine to the River Werra and includes traditional village structures, historic buildings, romantic deciduous woods and delightful views.

Zeulenroda Dam Hiking Trail

The starting-point is Seehotel Zeulenroda. You can set off from the hikers’ car park there, to walk the quality-certified Dam Hiking Trail. The reservoir covers an area of just under 240 hectares and is waiting to be circled! This is a tour suitable for everybody, without any steep sections.
The circular path has been left largely in its natural state and runs through the idyllic Weida valley beside the Zeulenroda dam, through dense wooded areas and across meadows and heights. It offers many magnificent views of the Thuringian Vogtland and with luck, you may see a kingfisher by the river Weida!

Gold Trail

Since the late Middle Ages, auriferous rock has been mined in the mountains and washed in the streams of the Thuringian Forest. This unique history can be traced by hikers along the 28-kilometre trail, which follows the gold rivers Grümpen and Schwarza and is crossed by the Rennsteig.

Vogtland Panorama Trail

The Vogtland Panorama Trail starts with a superlative!
The Göltzsch valley bridge, the largest brick bridge in the world, is the starting-point for the 220-kilometre tour through the Vogtland. On 12 day laps, you will see the most beautiful regions in the Vogtland and appreciate the great variety of its countryside.