Page 109 - (DK Eyewitness) Back Roads Travel Guide - Germany

DRIVE 10: Hilltop Castles and Lush Landscapes 107

Forest Train to Gotha
A novel way to visit Gotha and
Schloss Friedenstein (see p109)
and do some sight seeing is on
the Thüringerwaldbahn from
Friedrichroda. The Thuringian Forest
Train (tram No. 4) takes 50 min utes to
cover the 20-km (12-mile) journey
northward to Gotha. Trams depart
twice an hour in summer and once
an hour in winter from Friedrichroda.
4 Schmalkalden
Thuringia; 98574
So quaint are its timber-framed Above Scenic road to Oberhof, through the
buildings that it is hard to believe air. Romantic composers such as Franz Thuringian Forest Below left Half-timbered
that Schmalkalden was briefly the Liszt and Johannes Brahms con ducted building, Eisenach Below right Statue
epi centre of European politics. An the town’s orchestra, and its court of Bach at Bachhaus, Eisenach
imperial meeting was convened here theatre was acclaimed across Europe.
in 1537 to reconcile the conti nent’s Today, the town retains a repu tation EAT AND DRINK
Catholic rulers with Protestant princes for ballet, theatre and classical music
and Martin Luther. Up the high street (www.das-meininger-theater.de). The FRIEDRICHRODA
from the town square, Altmarkt, a Ducal Riding Hall (closed Mon), which Brauhaus moderate
mosaic of historic build ings, is the stands next to Schloss Elisabethenburg A 19th-century inn, Brauhaus offers
red-beamed Lutherhaus, Martin (closed Mon), displays backdrops from country cooking, such as game roulade,
Luther’s residence during the Imperial 19th-cen tury theatre productions. Do and beers brewed in-house. It also has
Diet. The Reformation also changed not miss the castle’s stuccoed café. five rooms and a beer garden.
Bachstrasse 14, 99894; 03623 30 42 59;
Schloss Wilhelmsburg (Apr–Oct: open ª Follow the one-way system to www.brauhaus-friedrichroda.de
daily; Nov–Mar: closed Mon). This Neu-Ulmer-Strasse and turn left
castle’s chapel was one of the first towards Suhl. In Rohr, follow signs to SCHMALKALDEN
to represent Luther’s eleva tion of Benshausen, then to Zella-Mehlis on Ratskeller moderate
the spoken word over decoration. the B62. Take the Bahnhof Strasse then Traditional dishes such as Eisbeinsülze
(salted pork knuckle) and fresh trout
ª Continue along Recklinghäuser the Oberhofer Strasse, which becomes are served here, inside the town hall.
Strasse, turn right at the T-junction to the Heinrich-Ehrhardt-Strasse, to Altmarkt 2, 98574; 03683 27 42
take the B19 to Meiningen. Drive into Oberhof and turn toward Oberhof-Sud
the centre, and at Sächsischer Hof hotel, to park beside the Haus des Gastes. MEININGEN
turn right to park on Klostergasse or Die Posthalterei expensive
park past the Schloss in the Zentrum 6 Oberhof Housed within the Sächsischer Hof
hotel, this is the finest restaurant in the
West car park. Thuringia; 98559 Thuringian Forest. Specialities include
Spread over a ridge at an elevation of local recipes with subtle Mediterranean
5 Meiningen 860 m (2,822 ft), Oberhof is the main and Asian flavours. Kutscherstube
Thuringia; 98617 winter play ground of the Thuringian moderate, a sister inn, serves pub fare.
Try the Thuringian Klösse (dumplings).
A past life as the Residenzstadt or Forest. Skiers and snowboarders have Georgstrasse 1, 98617; 03693 45 70;
royal seat of the Saxe-Meiningen a choice of slopes, and non-skiers Die Posthalterei: open Wed–Sat,
dukes lends Meiningen an aristocratic can swish downhill in rubber rings Kutscherstube: open daily
or on a toboggan. Skiing is possible
even in summer, on a 2-km (1-mile)
long circuit in the DKB-Skisport-Halle
(open daily; www.oberhof-skisporthalle.de).
Visitors can also hike through the
surrounding high meadows on
circular trails; maps are available
in the Haus des Gastes.
ª Leave Oberhof via Crawinkler
Strasse and follow signs to Ohrdruf.
Turn right towards Crawinkel, then take
the B88 to Ilmenau, via a short section
of the A71. Leave the A71 at Ilmenau
West to park beside Erfurter Strasse,
just before the sign to the Rathaus.

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