Drachenschlucht (Dragon Gorge)

At its narrowest point, only 68 centimetres separate the rock walls. Walking through the Drachenschlucht (Dragon Gorge) on the southern edge of Eisenach, you follow metal gratings above a rushing stream, with mossy cliffs rising high on both sides, and in places it stays dim even at midday. The gorge, about 3 kilometres long, lies at the foot of the Wartburg in the Thuringian Forest and is regarded as one of the region's greatest geological sights. Entry is free.

History: a dragon as a marketing idea

In the Middle Ages the upper Mariental valley was a refuge for hunters, charcoal burners and prospectors. In the 18th century the ducal court laid out the first walking paths, and in 1830 the "Phantasie" inn opened in the Mariental. In 1832 the stretch of the Annatal then called "Steingraben" (stone ditch) was made accessible to walkers and given a catchy new name: Drachenschlucht. It refers to Eisenach's patron saint, St. George, who in the local legend defeats a dragon said to have lived in this wet, narrow gorge. From 1897 a tram even ran to the entrance of the gorge. The Drachenschlucht and the neighbouring Landgrafenschlucht have been geological natural monuments since 1977 and part of the "Forests with gorges between Wartburg and Hohe Sonne" nature reserve since 2015.

The route through the gorge

• Dragon portal: About 160 metres from the Königstein car park, a carved wooden gate with a dragon and information boards greets you.
• Rock wall with an "A": After a little over 700 metres there is a 10-metre rock face bearing the monogram A for Annatal.
• Main passage: Next come 198 metres full of narrow sections, potholes, erosion basins and small trickling waterfalls. This is where the gorge is at its most spectacular.
• Two more narrows: Higher up, the gorge tightens twice more before the path reaches the source of the Marienbach.
• Hohe Sonne: At the southern end, a staircase leads up to the Hohe Sonne at about 430 metres above sea level.

Three side gorges branch off along the way. They were also laid out as emergency exits so that walkers can leave quickly in bad weather.

Good to know

The rock belongs to the Eisenach Rotliegend formation and is around 250 million years old. Special mosses and ferns grow in the cool, damp gorge, and rare tiny crustaceans and snails live in the moss cushions, along with fire salamanders and water shrews. Ice in winter and floods after storms damage the walkways again and again, so the paths have to be renewed regularly.

Getting there and parking

The northern entrance is reached via the access road to the Waldhaus Sängerwiese in the Mariental; the southern one is at the Hohe Sonne on the B 19 road. Parking on the B 19 itself is not allowed. Use the car parks at the Phantasie, at Prinzenteich, at the Marientalhütte or at the Hohe Sonne. Eisenach tourist information also offers guided walks.

Tripto tip

Start at the northern entrance and walk uphill towards the Hohe Sonne: that way you face the flowing water and the narrows come one after another. One way takes about an hour, or two to three hours including the return and breaks. Sturdy, non-slip shoes are essential, as the gratings are often wet. The snack bar at the Hohe Sonne is currently closed and the one in the Mariental opens only on Sundays, so bring your own food. If you want to keep going, combine the walk with the neighbouring Landgrafenschlucht or the Wartburg.