📍 Germany

THURINGIA COMPLETE: CULTURE AND FOREST ADVENTURE TRIP

Q: What weather should you expect?

Spring (April-June): Perfect weather, blooming landscapes, comfortable temperatures, fewer crowds, excellent value, ideal touring, mild conditions, beautiful scenery. Summer (July-August): Warmest weather, peak tourist season, highest prices, festival season, long daylight hours, crowded attractions, vibrant atmosphere. Fall (September-October): Excellent weather, autumn colors, Oktoberfest, harvest season, comfortable temperatures, fewer crowds, beautiful photography, wine season. Winter (November-March): Christmas markets, winter sports, lowest prices, cozy atmosphere, indoor attractions, cultural focus, festive season, snow activities.

Medieval castles cap the hills, ancient forests whisper their secrets, spa towns glow with hot springs. Thuringia is German heritage at its finest.

≈ 12

Days

186

Stops

📖 7 min read 🔄 Last updated: 2026-01-17

In Luther's footsteps at Eisenach, Hainich forest, Erfurt, Weimar, Jena and Saalfeld caves. Thuringia, at the heart of German history.

Weimar: cultural soul city
Erfurt: historic charm
Hainich: ancient forest
Saalfeld: marble cave

Your day-by-day itinerary

Day

Eisenach

luther legacy castle

9 photos

Day 1

🔍

Discover

Wartburg Castle built around 1067, where Martin Luther hid as Junker Jörg from 1521 to 1522

Museum at Wartburg Castle with famous paintings by Lucas Cranach from the Renaissance

🎯

Activities

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View over the green expanses of the Thuringian Forest from Wartburg Castle

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Next stop

Distance: 23.6 km

Travel time: 47min

Day

Hainich

ancient forest wilderness

9 photos

Day 2

🔍

Discover

Hainich National Park, Germany's largest contiguous deciduous forest with 13,000 hectares, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011

44-meter-high observation platform at Thiemsburg Castle

24-meter-high treetop path at Thiemsburg Castle

Root cave

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 12.9 km

Travel time: 26min

Day

Bad Langensalza

spa beauty thermal

6 photos

Day 3

🔍

Discover

Japanese Garden with koi

Rose Garden, one of the most beautiful in Germany

Arboretum

Botanical Garden

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 39.9 km

Travel time: 1h20

Day

Erfurt

historic charm city

4 photos

Day 4

🔍

Discover

High Cathedral Church of St. Mary with the Gloriosa, largest free-swinging bell in the world from the Middle Ages

Fish Market

City Hall

Krämer Bridge

+1 Places visited

🎯

Activities

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Visit the Jewish treasure of Erfurt in the synagogue cellar with Gothic goldsmith's and silversmith's art

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Next stop

Distance: 26.5 km

Travel time: 53min

Day

Weimar

cultural soul goethe

6 photos

Day 5

🔍

Discover

Tiefurt Castle, former summer residence of Duchess Anna Amalia with colorfully decorated wallpaper, noble furniture and Anna Amalia's lyra guitar

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Activities

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Stroll through English landscape park at Tiefurt Castle with meadows, Ilm River, shady trees, monuments and temple to the muses

Day

Weimar

cultural soul goethe

6 photos

Day 6

🔍

Discover

State Bauhaus, the most important art school of the early 20th century founded in 1919, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Goethe's home, part of UNESCO's Classical Weimar World Heritage Site

Schiller's home, part of UNESCO's Classical Weimar World Heritage Site

Duchess Anna Amalia Library, part of UNESCO's Classical Weimar World Heritage Site

+1 Places visited

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Activities

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Bauhaus walk with guides about the Bauhaus and university history

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Next stop

Distance: 25.1 km

Travel time: 50min

Day

Jena

university energy river

9 photos

Day 7

🔍

Discover

Schiller Garden House open for tours

Jena Art Collection with over 5,000 works

JenTower observation deck at 128 meters with wide view over the Saale valley

Zeiss Planetarium, one of the first large planetariums in the world, in operation since 1926

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Activities

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91-kilometer SaaleHorizontale hiking trail with unique view of Jena

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Next stop

Distance: 22.8 km

Travel time: 46min

Day

Seitenroda

castle heritage stone

8 photos

Day 8

🔍

Discover

Leuchtenburg, one of the best preserved castles in Germany from year 1200 on castle hill

Interactive museum Porzellanwelten Leuchtenburg with diverse worlds of experience

Exhibition Mythos Burg at Leuchtenburg

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Activities

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View over the landscape of Thuringia from Leuchtenburg

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 20.9 km

Travel time: 42min

Day

Hohenwarte

dam lake reservoir

5 photos

Day 9

🎯

Activities

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74.4-kilometer Hohenwarte Reservoir Trail through dense forest and along steep slopes to rocky lookout points on the Saale River

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Hiking in Thuringian Slate Mountains/Ober Saale Nature Park, the Sea of Thuringia with fjord-like landscape

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Next stop

Distance: 7.3 km

Travel time: 15min

Day

Saalfeld

marble cave stalactite

7 photos

Day 10

🔍

Discover

Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes, former mine Jeremias Glück open since 1914, with corridors, cavities, dripstones and minerals

Oldest healing gallery in Germany at the Fairy Grottoes with pure air

Grottoneum museum at the Fairy Grottoes

🎯

Activities

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Forest adventure trail at Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 7.3 km

Travel time: 15min

Day

Uhlstadt Kirchhasel

architectural gem village

5 photos

Day 11

🔍

Discover

Kochberg moated castle, former country estate of the von Stein family where Goethe visited Charlotte von Stein

Six-hectare landscape park at Kochberg Castle with grotto, viewing pavilion and flower theater designed by Carl von Stein, finished in 1840

Theater of lovers at Kochberg Castle performing Baroque, Classical and Romantic works

🗺️ Itinerary map

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🛡️ Travel advice - Germany

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❓ Frequently asked questions

What weather should you expect?

Spring (April-June): Perfect weather, blooming landscapes, comfortable temperatures, fewer crowds, excellent value, ideal touring, mild conditions, beautiful scenery.

Summer (July-August): Warmest weather, peak tourist season, highest prices, festival season, long daylight hours, crowded attractions, vibrant atmosphere.

Fall (September-October): Excellent weather, autumn colors, Oktoberfest, harvest season, comfortable temperatures, fewer crowds, beautiful photography, wine season.

Winter (November-March): Christmas markets, winter sports, lowest prices, cozy atmosphere, indoor attractions, cultural focus, festive season, snow activities.

How many days should I plan?

We believe you will enjoy this itinerary best by dedicating between 10 and 14 days. The next step will allow you to adjust the duration of your stay.

What to discover in Germany?

Rich history, cultural contributions, and efficient modern society from Bavaria to Berlin. Experience Oktoberfest, medieval towns, and world-class museums with excellent transportation infrastructure. The country offers diverse landscapes, outstanding cuisine, and important historical sites. Germany provides cultural depth, historical significance, and modern efficiency in heart of Europe.