Discover places worth seeing — from historic sites to mountain trails.
Palaces
Schmalkalden
Above the old town of Schmalkalden stands a castle that the centuries have passed by almost without a trace. Landgrave William IV of Hesse began building the Wilhelmsburg as a secondary residence in 1584, and because it was hardly used lat…
Waterfalls
Schmalkalden
A waterfall with an on/off switch: the Trusetal Waterfall in Brotterode-Trusetal is not purely natural but was created in 1865. Inspired by the rock scenery, the building officer Specht had the River Truse diverted along an artificial chan…
Other
Jena
In July 1924, some 80,000 people flocked to the roof of the Zeiss works in Jena to see an artificial starry sky in a temporary dome. The press called it the "Miracle of Jena". Two years later, on 18 July 1926, a permanent planetarium opene…
Fortresses
Erfurt
The Petersberg Citadel (Zitadelle Petersberg) in Erfurt is one of the largest and best-preserved Baroque city fortresses in Europe. Rising directly above Cathedral Square, its bastions offer the classic view of Erfurt Cathedral and St. Sev…