|
Thuringia is often called “the green heart of Germany”,
and with good reason. The state’s great showpiece is the
Thuringian Forest, one of those vast, mysterious tracts
of woodland that make one understand why Germany abounds
in myth and legend. Today it is a legendary recreational
area – in summer for walkers and nature lovers, in
winter for skiers.
Thuringia could also be called the cultural heart of
Germany, for its towns contain gems of art and
architecture – castles, palaces, churches, handsome
Renaissance mansions and half-timbered houses – as fine
as anywhere in Germany; whole streets and squares where
little has changed for centuries. And what other small
town in Germany can boast such rich artistic
associations as Weimar? Bach spent fruitful years there,
Liszt forged “the music of the future” as director of
the court orchestra, Goethe and Schiller lived there.
The artists of the Weimar school and the founders of the
Bauhaus movement also contributed to the town’s
international reputation.
Erfurt, the regional capital, recently celebrated its
1,250th anniversary. Its mediaeval town centre,
impressive cathedral and the Krämerbrücke, an ancient
bridge bearing a street of houses, are well worth a
visit. Eisenach is dominated by the Wartburg, Germany’s
best known mediaeval castle. It was in the Wartburg that
Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German;
Bach was born in Eisenach.
Gotha, with its Friedenstein Castle, attractive old town
and Baroque theatre, and Jena, famous for its ancient
university of mellow old stone, are two more gems in the
lovely green setting of Thuringia, and two more reasons
for the adventurous and inquisitive holiday-maker to
visit Eastern Germany. |
