Germany’s “green heart.

Extensive forests and board expanses of fields as well as romantic valleys and make the Thuringian Forest an attractive hiking and winter sports area. The Rennsteig, which runs along the crest of the ridge of the Thuringian Forest for a length of 168 kilometers, is - next to the Eselsweg in the Spessart region - Germany’s oldest and most famous hiking path. The state’s wealth of medicinal and mineral springs has fostered the growth of many health resorts. Approximately 170 artificial lakes afford optimal conditions for water sports enthusiasts. Of course visitors are also drawn to Thuringia by its rich cultural heritage. The 300-kilometer-long

“Thuringian Classical Route”, which was opened in 1992, takes people to the state’s most beautiful spots, to castles and palaces, to museums and memorials -always calling to mind the time when Thuringia was the center of German intellectual life. Meiningen is once again the home of a flourishing theater; in the 19th century, this city became famous throughout Europe for its court theater troupe “The Meiningen Company”. Its spectacular success was attributable to the patronage of the local sovereign, Duke George II of Saxe-Meiningen, who also directed the company. Today this theater is one of the most popular in Germany.