Radfernweg Thüringer Städtekette
Eine Kette mit sieben Perlen

The long-distance bike trail Thüringer Städtekette connects seven of Thuringia's most beautiful cities and leads through scenic areas of Thuringia that are characterized by their rich history. As part of the D4 route, it is connected to the Germany-wide long-distance bike trail network. On approx. 225 km across Thuringia, historical inner cities, well-known sights and cultural highlights are always offered as stage destinations. Eisenach Eisenach is the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach. Every visitor can experience a live music performance on historical instruments in the Bach House. Martin Luther spent three years of his school years in the city, which is commemorated by the exhibition in the Luther House. The "Automobile World Eisenach" documents the city's automobile manufacturing tradition. St. Elisabeth lived at Wartburg Castle (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Martin Luther translated the New Testament here. Gotha The former residence city of the Duchy of Saxony-Gotha offers something for every taste with its historic buildings. Whether individually on the way or during a guided city tour - still today the flair of the splendid past can be felt. Worth seeing are the baroque Friedenstein Castle, the 350-year-old vaults of the fortifications, the casemates and the original baroque Ekhof Theater. Erfurt The more than 1260-year-old capital of Thuringia is characterized by one of the best-preserved medieval city centers in Germany, a charming ensemble of rich patrician houses and lovingly reconstructed half-timbered houses. It is dominated by the monumental ensemble of St. Mary's Cathedral and the Severi Church. The Krämerbrücke is unique. With 120 m and 32 houses it is the longest completely built and inhabited bridge street in Europe. Right next to the Domberg, the only largely preserved Baroque city fortress in Central Europe beckons visitors to explore its extensive underground labyrinth. Weimar Weimar is a fairy-tale small town in the middle of the green heart of Germany. The spirit of German classicism is alive in this city of culture, as is the spirit of the Weimar Republic and the Bauhaus. Cranach, Bach, Goethe, Schiller, Coudray, Nietzsche, Liszt, Kessler, Feininger lived and worked here and gave this city its unique flair. Today, as in the past, the art world is drawn to Weimar to invent and create something new in the footsteps of their ancestors. Jena Jena is a modern student and high-tech city. Important personalities studied and taught at Jena University, including Schiller. His residence can be visited in Jena. Goethe also worked here, promoting the university and the botanical garden. Groundbreaking developments by Abbe and Zeiss can be discovered in the Optical Museum. Every summer, the Kulturarena thrills as a music and culture festival. Always enticing are Jena's charming surroundings, nestled between shell limestone slopes that are home to many species of orchids. Gera Nestled in the valley of the White Elster River, Gera, together with Ronneburg, was the venue for the 2007 Federal Garden Show. The former Prussian residence is a green city with its city forest, riverside meadows and many parks. Gera has much to offer worth seeing: the traditional Art Nouveau theater, the Municipal Art Collection in the Orangery, the museum birthplace of the city's most famous artist son, the painter Otto Dix. Also interesting are the caves, a historical labyrinth of underground passages. Altenburg In eastern Thuringia lies Altenburg, the cradle of skat and playing card town. The 1000-year-old residence of the Wettin princes is an insider's tip: Marvel at the ducal living culture of many centuries in the imposing castle next to playing cards, stroll through the magnificent castle park to the Lindenau Museum with its valuable art collections and the Mauritianum Natural History Museum or discover the lovingly restored old town. If you want to taste the liquid specialties of the city, you should visit the Art Nouveau brewery with museum as well as the distillery factory.