Thuringia – Hiking and Lodging of Certified Quality

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

Breathtaking landscapes with mountains of up to nearly 1,000 metres in height, 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 16,000 kilometres of hiking paths including 18 certified quality hiking trails. More than 80 hotels along the routes have been certified as qualified accommodations for hikers.

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 certified quality hiking trail “Point Alpha” along the inner-German border to a former US Army observation post.

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. 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.

The Hochrhöner

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 the certified quality hiking trail The Hochrhöner.
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.

Trail - From Bach to Goethe

A 24-kilometre long hiking trail links the two largest towns in the region Ilmkreis. 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. Culture and nature are combined in a unique way.

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 – Walking Through Germany” 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.

Gold Path

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.

SaaleHorizontale Trail

The SaaleHorizontale is 71 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.

Schwarza Valley Panoramic Trail

135 kilometres of beautiful natural environment and wanderlust from the Rennsteig to the River Saale: you can revel in nature, experience history and follow the Gold Path in the wildly romantic Schwarza valley.

Nature Park Path Leine-Werra

100 kilometres of hiking pleasure from Heiligenstadt to Creuzburg: discover the unique natural environment in the yew woods and Werra water meadows and enjoy magnificent views and landscapes, ranging from high plateau to scenic river banks.

Thuringian Three Towers Path

The 26 kilometres long circular hiking trail runs through a protected landscape of outstanding natural beauty, fascinating views and many cultural highlights. It connects the Hain Tower near Weimar to the Caroline Tower near Blankenhain and the Pauline Tower near Bad Berka.

Kyffhäuser Hiking Trail

The Kyffhäuser Hiking 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 through the area of the Zechstein belt in the south and south-west of the park and therefore, is also of geological interest.

Along the path are numerous historic sites like the Kyffhäuser Monument or the Panorama Museum close to Bad Frankenhausen.

Dam Lake Trail Zeulenroda

The circular trail around the Zeulenroda and the Weida valley dam lakes starts at the Seehotel Zeulenroda. The reservoir covers an area of just under 240 hectares though the trail itself has a distance of 45 kilometres. This tour has no steep sections and is suitable for everybody.

The circular path has been left largely in its natural state and runs through dense wooded areas and across meadows and heights. It offers many magnificent views of the Thuringian Vogtland and if you are lucky, you may see a kingfisher by the river Weida.

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.