CTHOE

Hike: The Gleichen Castles

The three Gleichen castles were the seat of the County Gleichen, in addition to fortresses belonging to the Abbot of Hersfeld and the Margraves of Thuringia. The castles guarded the important trade route of the Via Regia, and were subsequently besieged and destroyed multiple times over the course of history. Today, the three castles form a dramatic landscape in the Thuringian basin that is also easily accessible. Take a high-speed train from Frankfurt to Berlin through Erfurt, and you will see them as you pass by. This hike takes you on a trip to visit all three.

Metilsteiner

Hike: Views of the Wartburg Castle

The Wartburg castle sits on an ancient road from Frankfurt to Erfurt. However, while the trade caravans would have traveled along the lowland route, a highland road connected Wartburg to the other side of the Thuringian Forest. This hike takes you on a panorama tour from the ruins of the Brandenburg castle to the center of Eisenach along this ancient path.