The route starts from the beautiful and quietly located holiday apartment in Waltershausen. It is an open building. The owner lives on the ground floor and the first floor is furnished as a holiday home. There is a covered area in the garden where the motorcycle can be parked. There is also plenty of room at the apartment for a car with a trailer.
There is a petrol station 500 m away. You can refuel at both the start and the end of the ride.

Just past the village of Schwarzhausen you get a view on your left of the Grosser Inselsberg, which we climb at the end of the ride. You follow the sloping road that partly runs through the forest, interspersed with some beautiful open landscapes.

Eisenach is not only known for the Wartburg. Although that is one of the main reasons that people come to Eisenach. It is also the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach and many classical music lovers come to visit the Bachhaus. The city is also known as the location of the automotive industry and as the residence of Martin Luther. Historical buildings such as the Hellgrevenhof and the Lussenhof and old castles such as Landhaus Pflugensberg, Schloss Fischbach and Eisenacher Stadtschloss are important attractions. Eisenach has one preserved city gate: Nikolai Gate. A number of historic buildings can be found along the market square. Such as the Georgenkirche, built in 1180, where Johann Sebastian Bach was baptized. The Rathaus, built in Gothic style, is also located along the square, as is the Stadtschloss. The Georgsbrunnen stand out in the middle of the square.

When you leave Eisenach, turn to Schloss Wartburg. The road climbs steadily through the forest to the castle. You are required to park in the paid parking lot.
Schloss Wartburg was built in the mid-11th century. The castle, like many other castles, has a rich history. The Wartburg itself is older than the city of Eisenach. In the 12th century, the castle was expanded enormously, including the addition of the Landgravenhaus. In this part of the castle you will find beautifully decorated rooms that will truly amaze you. Unfortunately not all are original anymore; most of the decorations, frescoes and decorations were added in the 19th century.
Martin Luther was in exile on the Wartburg for ten months in 1521 and 1522. He wasn't here voluntarily. Luther had been 'kidnapped' by a Saxon prince with the aim of having him go into hiding at the Wartburg, after he had been placed under an imperial ban. At the Wartburg he adopted a different name and a different appearance. This is how he spent his time here as Junker Jörg. During the period that Martin Luther stayed at the Wartburg, he translated the New Testament into German.
The southern tower dates from the Middle Ages, as does part of an old wall next to the tower. From the tower you look out over the surroundings of the Wartburg, but also into the courtyard. What is immediately noticeable is the large cistern, which was used to filter water through sand. Unfortunately, this system was not sufficient and water was carried up from the valley by donkeys for centuries. Since 1999, the Wartburg has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Burgcafé Gadem on the castle grounds offers delicious coffee with home-made cake.

Those who love narrow gorges can visit the Drachenschlucht via a short hike.
The Drachenschlucht is the most famous gorge in Eisenach. Construction of the hiking trail began in 1832. Since then, the Drachenschlucht hike begins on the southern edge of Eisenach and extends for approximately 3 kilometers through the Thuringian Forest. Over these 3 kilometers the walk runs between meters high rocks, smaller rock gorges and countless bottlenecks. But beware, this walk is not for those who like space: the narrowest part is only 70 centimeters wide!

The road winds further through the Thuringian Forest. Here and there you will be treated to some beautiful views.
In Waldtisch you leave the main road and drive to Bad Liebenstein.

A delicious meal awaits you at Chausseehaus Zur Einnahme. There is a parking lot at the back, close to the lake. The attention to detail, passion and dedication, as well as the best local ingredients combined with creative cuisine, make the restaurant with beautiful lake terrace unique.

The Brunnen Temple here contains the region's oldest spring, whose medicinal waters became famous far beyond the borders. Rumors about the medicinal properties of the spring's water spread even before 1600 and the fountain legend is still told today.
The cleaned and enclosed source was named Casimir Fountain. The now renovated fountain temple for Bad Liebenstein's spring water is accessible to everyone on the ground floor to enjoy the fresh, sparkling and healing water.

The next stop is the Trusetaler Wasserfal. It is the highest and most impressive waterfall in the region. On the left side of the waterfall you can go up (228 steps) and take a short (or longer walk). On top of the waterfall you have a good view of the valley and here you can see that the Trusetaler waterfall is an artificial waterfall. In 1865, workers diverted part of the Truse River, creating an unnatural drop of 180 feet. At the top you see the channel that guides the water to the top of the waterfall, where it falls beautifully on the large rocks. The flow of the Trusetaler Wasserfall is fairly constant and only at the end of summer can the flow decrease slightly.

The Neue Hütte is a blast furnace factory from 1835 in which local charcoal-based iron ore was smelted into pig iron until 1924. When built, the 'Neue Hütte', equipped with a 9.60 meter high blast furnace, embodied the latest technology in the field of charcoal smelting. The blast furnace produced about 4 to 5 tons of pig iron in 24 hours during a continuous smelting cycle, consuming about 10 tons of ores and aggregates and 5 tons of charcoal. Visitors can explore the entire oven and climb to its final height of over 11 meters.
In addition, the permanent exhibition on the history and technology of the 'Neue Hütte', the presentation of the general development of mining, smelting and iron crafts in the Schmalkalden area, an industrial production facility for wood drills, a craft nail forge and the reconstruction of the water supply, the water wheel and the turbine systems.

In the spa town of Friedrichroda, the city café (self-service) is located on the pleasant market square next to the church. Parking is certainly no problem here.
The coffee specialties are prepared with freshly ground beans. Enjoy the tastiest cakes from our own pastry shop. The tempting ice cream sundaes are irresistible!

You now enter the Thuringian Forest along a beautiful winding road where you can fully enjoy the bends.
Via Kleinschmalkalden - where you can admire the largest cowbell in the world! - and Broterode you gradually approach the Grosser Inselsberg, the top of which is at an altitude of 916 m. This makes it one of the highest peaks in the Thuringian Forest. Due to its beautiful natural environment and panoramic views, the Inselsberg is a popular destination for tourists and hikers. On top of the Inselsberg there is a lookout tower called the Inselsbergturm, which offers an even better view of the surrounding landscape. Visitors can climb the tower to enjoy panoramic views. The mountain also has historical significance and has been mentioned many times in connection with events and legends over the centuries. During the Middle Ages there was a castle there. The surrounding area is known for its rich biodiversity and is home to several plant and animal species that thrive in the region.

You now descend back to Bad Tabarz. Further on you pass the Marienglashöhle Friedrichroda.
The history of mining in Thuringia began about 1000 years ago. Originally, mainly iron ore was mined. In 1778, miners stumbled upon gypsum rock, which was mined until 1903. It was burned and then sold as stucco. The Marienglashöhle has been open to tourists for more than 150 years. It impressively documents the hard work of the miners and displays the equipment and tools. A short walk through ancient tunnels rewards the visitor with a fascinating underground world. Examples of this are the cave lake or the crystal cave. It contains one of the largest and most beautiful deposits of Marienglas gypsum crystals, which are up to 90 cm long.
There may not be enough time to visit this during this tour.

Barely 8 km and you are back in Waltershausen and at the end of this fascinating tour with many interesting visits.