Nature and Activities

Be it winter or summer, Thuringia as a travel destination invites with its diverse countryside of mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes and nature reserves.
First of all, the Thuringian Forest is the largest uninterrupted forest area in Germany. Here, one can find more than 7,000 km of well signposted paths and walks and the longest and oldest hiking trail in Germany, the famous Rennsteig (168 km).

Other impressive nature spots include the many-faceted Schiefergebirge (slate hills), the Saale region with the largest dam lake area in Germany, the Kyffhäuser hills which Emperor Barbarossa helped to win legendary fame and the mystic southern Harz region with its caves and winding walks. Visitors can also enjoy largely unspoilt nature in Europe's largest coherent deciduous forest, the Hainich National Park with its unique Treetop Trail, and the beautiful valleys of the rivers Saale, Ilm, Werra and Unstrut.

Hiking

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. more – Hiking

Caves and mines

Caves, grottoes and abandoned mine shafts in Thuringia entice visitors into an unknown fairytale world. The Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes belong to the most famous ones. more – Caves and mines

Cycling

Thuringia has numerous attractive, high quality cycling tracks to meet all the different demands of cyclists. They can enjoy tours through a multitude of lovely landscapes along the rivers Werra, Saale, Unstrut or Ilm with little or medium difficulty. more – Cycling

Historic railways

Whether your love steam engines, trams, country, mountain or narrow gauge railways, when it comes to historic railways Thuringia has a wide variety on offer. more – Historic railways