Germany's 16 states: Thuringia

Anyone visiting Thuringia will find a wealth of cultural sites of national and international repute. But away from the cities, the state also boasts lush forests and the 170-kilometer-long (106-mile) Rennsteig route, which is ideal for hiking. 

State capital: Erfurt

Thuringia's largest city features an impressive old town center and cathedral. One famous landmark is the 120-meter-long (393-foot) Krämerbrücke, a bridge on which half-timbered houses with shops and cafes stand cheek by jowl.

Goethe and Schiller in Weimar

Cosmopolitanism, universal educational standards, humanistic striving — such were the aspirations of poets Goethe and Schiller. These eminent Weimar visionaries left their mark on the Thuringian town 250 years ago. The places where they worked are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Border stories in Thuringia and Hesse

Germany's former inner border once separated Germany and Europe into east and west. It also ran between Hesse and Thuringia. In 1989, the wall came down and the border between East Germany and West Germany was history. Check-in host Nicole Frölich traveled to places where Germany was once divided, including site where this separation can still be felt today. They include the Point Alpha Memorial and the Unity Bridge in Vacha. The recording took place before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Hainich National Park

The former military exclusion zone is now the largest continuous area of mixed deciduous forest in Europe: a primeval forest at the heart of Germany. Hainich National Park is one of the old beech forests that once stretched right across Central Europe and is today under UNESCO protection.

The Rennsteig

The Rennsteig is the longest high-altitude hiking trail in Germany. Lukas Stege, presenter of the DW travel magazine Check-in, has picked out his three favorite stations along the 170-kilometer route: the summer toboggan run on the Inselsberg, a wildlife observation station in the biosphere reserve and a sustainable tropical house project. The recording took place before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Highlight in a 360-degree video

During a city tour of the Thuringian town of Eisenach, visitors can learn about the legacy of Martin Luther.

A highlight is a visit to Wartburg Castle, where the reformer was in hiding from 1521 onward. During that time he translated the New Testament of the Bible into German in just 11 weeks.

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Your trip to Germany

Are you looking for recommendations for your visit to Germany? We've got them! Tips for Germany — state by state.