Best hard trails in Thuringia

Popular circular route in Wartburg - Hohe Sonne nature reserve, Thuringia This is a great circular route through the Thuringian Forest, which offers a lot of variety, from the beautiful town of Eisenach to the historic Wartburg Castle and natural attractions such as the Drachenschlucht. A remarkable sight along the route is the "Wilde Sau" stone cross, erected in 1483 and the oldest of its kind on the Rennsteig. Attention: The Drachenschlucht can be closed at short notice due to the...

Popular, varied circular route through the Wartburg - Hohe Sonne nature reserve, Thuringia. The hike starts in Eisenach's old town, which is well worth seeing, right by the railway station, and leads up to Wartburg Castle. It is well worth a visit here and there are refreshment stops and bathrooms. The route then leads to the fantastic, wild and romantic Drachenschlucht gorge. Over wooden planks or gratings, the route leads directly over a stream and between the moss-covered, gigantic...

Stage 1 of the long-distance hiking trail "SaaleHorizontale", Thuringia. This is the first stage of the certified SaaleHorizontale quality trail, a wonderful hike through the Saale valley, starting and finishing in Jena. The first stage of the long-distance hiking trail starts in Jena and ends in Ziegenhain. As the trail climbs quite steeply in places and you walk close to steep rocks, particularly in the Pennicken Valley, this hike is categorised as challenging. Fantastic views of the...

This route follows stage 1 of the Rennsteig, connecting Hörschel on the Werra River with Ruhla on a historic first section. The hike leads from the banks of the Werra up into the Thuringian Forest, offering vast views and passing historical markers such as the "Wilde Sau" stone cross and the Vachaer Stein. A special highlight is the Hohe Sonne rest area, which provides an impressive view of Wartburg Castle. Traditionally, hikers collect a pebble from the Werra at the start in Hörschel to...

This route follows stage 5 of the Rennsteig, connecting Frauenwald (Allzunah) with Friedrichshöhe on a historically significant section. The hike marks the transition from the Thuringian Forest to the Thuringian Slate Mountains and passes the Großer Dreiherrenstein, which marks the exact geographic midpoint of the 169 km trail. Cultural and scenic highlights include Neustadt am Rennsteig with its Rennsteig Museum, the Rennsteigwarte observation tower on the Eselsberg near Masserberg, and the...

This route follows stage 2 of the Rennsteig, connecting Ruhla (Hubertushaus) with the Ebertswiese near Friedrichsroda on a scenically beautiful section. The path runs via the Ruhlaer Häuschen to the striking Glöckner rock formation and eventually climbs the Großer Inselsberg, which offers spectacular views across Thuringia from its 916-meter summit. As you hike through deep mixed forests, historic boundary stones like the Dreiherrenstein at Großer Weißenberg line the path, bearing witness to...

This route follows stage 3 of the Rennsteig, connecting the Ebertswiese near Friedrichsroda with the famous sports resort of Oberhof on a densely forested section. The hike leads through extensive, untouched woodland over the Nesselberg and Sperrhügel hills to the Hoher Schorn observation tower, which offers sweeping panoramas. Shortly before the destination, the path reaches the winter sports center at Grenzadler, where hikers pass directly by the biathlon arena and the famous ski jumps...

Popular, scenic circular route in the Thuringian Forest, Thuringia. This popular route, which completely circumnavigates the Schmalwasser dam, inspires young and old alike. The dam has a huge storage volume and is therefore also called the "Dietharzer Meer" ("Dietharzer Sea"). It is still used today for flood protection and power generation. The Röllchen, a ridge near the dam, is particularly impressive. Once a year there is a two-dam run here in "Canada in Thuringia". Since there are nice...

This route follows stage 4 of the Rennsteig, connecting Oberhof with Frauenwald (Allzunah) on one of the most scenic sections of the trail. From the Grenzadler, the path passes the famous Rennsteig Garden and climbs to the Großer Beerberg, the highest peak in the Thuringian Forest at 982 meters. Highlights include the high moor on the Beerberg, the Herbert Roth Monument at Borstenplatz, and the historic Schmücke inn. The path continues past the Nahe Spring to the traditional Rennsteig station...

Popular, panoramic circular hike in the Thuringian Forest, Thuringia. The tour starts at the tourist information centre in Tabarz (390m above sea level). This is also the starting point of the volcano trail with some information and the "Ringelnatz" gallery with constantly changing exhibitions. Tabarz can be reached by bus from Gotha or Eisenach or by the Thuringian Forest Railway from Gotha. It is only a few minutes' walk from the bus stop to the starting point. The trail first leads...