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Thuringia
Thuringia
Light and shadow
A green heart beats in the middle of Germany. Thuringia is one of the most forested regions in Germany. But even without a protective cover of leaves, it is a worthwhile travel destination.
Svenja Timm
December 23, 1996
The wind blows almost silently through the branches of the slender beech and spruce trees, and only a few rays of sunlight find their way to the remains of snow on the ground. Not much is going on on the heights of the Thuringian Forest on this cool winter day. “There is peace over all peaks …” – the poem that Goethe once carved into the board wall of a forest ranger’s hut on the 861 meter high Kickelhahn near Ilmenau aptly describes the atmosphere. I hardly dare to press the start button. Ignoring the shouting, I carefully guide the Simson SR 80 around the remains of snow in the parking lot. And then it goes at a brisk ride through the curves down into the valley. He masters that perfectly, the little scooter. No wonder, after all, he is very familiar with the area here. His birthplace, Suhl, is practically around the corner, and of course we’re going to visit relatives. In the company museum, his entire ancestral gallery is represented by over 100 exhibits. Among other things, a K.G. from 1920, designed by Motorfahrzeugbau Gebruder Krieger GmbH, Suhl, and the oldest cardan machine in Germany. In addition, a whole family tree of swallows: the oldest is almost 40 years old. But the museum not only provides information about the tin bird species, but also about the feathered namesake of the Simson series and tells about sparrows and starlings on small panels.After this little excursion into ornithology, I drive along the Werra into the Thuringian Rhon. Again and again old boundary stones can be seen between the trees. They testify to the many small states that made up the state of Thuringia until the end of the First World War. Likewise, the castles from the eighth to fifteenth centuries, the remains of which can be found in almost 200 places in the country. The Wartburg near Eisenach can hardly be surpassed in fame. But the way there is a long one. Even if fast and slow on a scooter are pretty relative – on Wartburgallee, progress is definitely slow, as an endless line of cars clogs the serpentines to the castle. The legend says that Count Ludwig from the Thuringian Forest around the year 1000 when it was discovered of the summit is said to have exclaimed: »Wait? Berg – you should become a castle for me! ”Well roared, Ludwig. More than 500 years later, this castle was a refuge for Martin Luther to translate the New Testament from Greek into German in the record time of ten weeks. In neighboring Eisenach, he had previously lived with a prominent son in the city during his visit to the Gasse an Gasse Latin school: none other than the composer Johann Sebastian Bach. The next morning, only blurred contours of the landscape can be seen. A thick fog, acrid from the cold, lies over the road. But it doesn’t help, I leave Eisenach on the B 7 and roll in the cloud of a smoking Trabbi in the direction of Gotha. The two-stroke engine is not only reminiscent of GDR times, as will soon become apparent. In the insurance and banking city, the historical building fabric has fallen into disrepair everywhere. The facades are crumbling, windows have been smashed, and the half-timbered frame of many buildings is still standing. “It still looks like it was after the war here,” a pensioner from Dusseldorf shakes his head. Shivering, I tie the scarf tighter around my neck, press the last button on my jacket and get back on my scooter. I don’t know what is less dreary. Gotha or the weather. Better keep going. Fortunately, the monotony is gradually clearing, and the towers of the state capital Erfurt soon appear on the horizon. Even if the cathedral dominates the city on the Gera, another building is even more fascinating: the Kramerbrucke, the only built river crossing north of the Alps. In Erfurt I meet again in the footsteps of famous personalities. This time it’s Goethe and Schiller. Almost every city on the so-called Klassikerstrabe between Eisenach, Jena, Ilmenau and Meiningen has its Goethe or Schiller memorials, especially Weimar, of course: On Theaterplatz, the poets greet the many thousands of visitors as a memorial, on Frauenplan is the Goethe National Museum, in the Schiller house on Schillerstrabe. If there is a gap in education regarding the two poets from school, it can be closed here. Another, albeit somewhat more profane Thuringian classic provides the smoke that hangs in thick clouds over the market square: the bratwurst. The recipe, it is said, has not changed since 1613, and the spicy beef, veal and pork are still roasted in pork intestines over charcoal embers. Accordingly strengthened, I set off on the last section of my round trip, through a gently undulating landscape of fields and meadows in the direction of Jena. On the outskirts, where Carl Zeiss founded his precision engineering workshop in 1846, the Zeissian prefabricated housing estates tower into the sky; on the green meadow, huge furniture stores alternate with overgrown allotment gardens, new hotel buildings with vacant factories. On the adjoining B 88, on the other hand, time seems to have stood still in the old, idyllic villages. The church and market square are still the center of village life, hammers and saws are coming from the windows all around: the many half-timbered and slate houses are in urgent need of renovation. Just like the streets. Passages through towns are always a challenge for Simson. Big potholes suddenly appear in front of the front wheel, slippery cobblestones thwart any driving stability. But he packs it, the star, because he was developed on and for such routes. Stable and solid. Soon the tall trees of the Thuringian Forest frame the road again. It gets colder with every meter of altitude. And gradually it is there again, this calm. Especially at the top, where the last remnants of snow still glow white between the trees.
Info
Thuringia is a diverse federal state. Castles, museums, well-known poets, churchmen and composers attract those interested in culture, while the many green corners attract nature lovers.
Arrival: If you come from the west, you should leave the A 5 or A 7 at the Kirchheimer Dreieck and turn onto the A 4. Travelers from the east can also reach Klassikerstrabe via the A 4, those from the south and north via the A 9. The route itself is signposted. Spend the night: There are lots of hotels and pensions along the Klassikerstrabe. Room reservations can be made through the city’s tourist offices. Information is available from the Thuringian Foreigners Association, telephone 03 61/54 02 234. The 264-page hotel and camping guide “From the Thuringian Forest to Saxon Switzerland” from the series “Overnight stays in Germany” is also helpful when looking for a place to stay «By grafit-Verlag as well as the collection of motorcycle-friendly inns» Pleasant Peace «from the Edition Unterwegs. Available for 29.80 marks at the MOTORRAD shop. Activities: People who are enthusiastic about nature and sports can let off steam on the 168.3 kilometer long “Rennsteig” hiking trail from Horschel to Blankenstein. In winter the Thuringian Forest mutates into an Eldorado for skiers. Oberhof is the most famous place with the largest plastic covered ski jumping hill, a racing sledge track and a biathlon stadium. Rental motorcycles: The tourist offices in the individual cities know where to rent motorcycles or scooters. In Erfurt, for example, the two-wheeler center V. Michalowski sells Vespa and MZ motorcycles, phone 03 61/79 13 523. Literature: The informative brochure “Klassikerstrabe Thuringia” is available from the Landesfremdenverkehrsverband. If you want to find out more about Thuringia in general, the rororo pocket book “Thuringia” from the andersreisen series for 22.90 marks is well advised. The Merian »Thuringia« from Hoffmann und Campe Verlag for 14.80 Marks also gives a good insight. Time required: three days Distance covered: around 300 kilometers
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