Rennsteig
The long-distance trail runs for about 170 km (110 miles) from Eisenach and the Werra valley in the northwest to Blankenstein and the Selbitz river in the southeast.The Rennsteig runs along the ridge of the Thuringian Central Uplands (Mittelgebirge) from northwest to southeast mostly at heights of around 500 to 970 metres.In 2003 the Rennsteig was re-surveyed by the Thuringian State Office for Survey and Geoinformation; they reported that it had a total length of 169.29 km (105.19 miles).In Old High German, a renniweg is a narrow footpath or bridleway in contrast to a Heerstraße or military road.The hiking trail was first described and mapped by the cartographer Julius von Plänckner (1791–1858) in his 1832 book Taschenbuch für Reisende durch den Thüringerwald.After World War II, the trail was not completely passable as it crossed the inner German border several times.It flees the towns and hides its bashful course amongst the thickets.Around June time, when from the gorges of the wooded heights, which run through the Thuringian Basin, the heavy scent of jasmine wafted down from the alder buckthorn, those were delightful walking days, here through the balmy fertile land almost free of industry with its friendly clustered villages of timber framed houses; and then onward out of the tapestry of arable fields, dominated by cattle-breeding farms, and followed the legendary highland path onto the mountain ridge with its spruce and beech — the Rennsteig — which, with its downward sweeping views into the Werra valley, ran from the Franconian Forest to Eisenach, the Hörselstadt, and became more and more beautiful, meaningful, romantic...Today the Rennsteig is designated by the German Mountain and Hiking Club (Verband Deutscher Gebirgs- und Wandervereine) as an outstanding high-grade hiking trail.The Rennsteig is connected to the E3 European long distance path, which goes from the Atlantic coast of Spain to the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, and the E6 European long distance path, running from Arctic Finland to Turkey.
ridge walkThuringian ForestThuringian HighlandFranconian ForestCentralGermanylong-distance trailEisenachBlankensteinSelbitzwatershedDreistromsteinSiegmundsburgCentral UplandsMittelgebirgeSpitterEbertswieseSpitter WaterfallLehestenRennsteig TunnelA 71 autobahnBrandleite TunnelErfurt–Schweinfurt railwayWerra RailwayNuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railwayWartburgkreisSchmalkalden-MeiningenHildburghausenSaalfeld-RudolstadtSonnebergKronachSaale-Orla districtWolfsburg-UnkerodaSteinbachBrotterodeOberhofSchmiedefeld am RennsteigStützerbachFrauenwaldNeustadt am RennsteigMasserbergScheibe-AlsbachSteinheidNeuhaus am RennwegErnstthal am RennsteigSpechtsbrunnTettauSchmalkaldenOld High GermanMiddle AgesDuchy of FranconiaLandgraviate of ThuringiaFranconianThuringian–Upper SaxonThuringiaEast FranconianItzgründischUpper FranconianCentral ThuringianWorld War IIinner German borderPeaceful Revolutionheritage siteSchwarzburg-Rudolstadtboundary stonesJoseph Victor von Scheffeljasminealder buckthorntimber framedarable fieldscattlespruceDoctor FaustusThomas MannRennsteig Cycle PathE3 European long distance pathE6 European long distance pathlanglaufsnowshoesRennsteig RailwaySchmiedefeldGutsMuths Rennsteig RunultramarathonRudolstadtWayback Machine