Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [232]
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Sleeping & Eating
A Kurtaxe (spa tax) of €1.50 per person is added to every overnight stay.
Alte Hämmelei ( 034671-5120; www.alte-haemmelei.de; Bornstrasse 33, Bad Frankenhausen; dm/s/d/tr €25/42/74/96; ) Tradition is worn on the sleeve of this historic half-timbered house with wooden interiors. Private rooms combine rustic and modern elements, while the 12-bed dorm is right below the A-frame rafters. Indulge in deftly prepared regional fare (mains €7.50 to €14), such as the signature dish called Ohle Hämmelei (lamb filet with lima beans and potato pancakes).
Hotel Residenz ( 034671-750; www.residenz-frankenhausen.de; Am Schlachtberg 3, Bad Frankenhausen; s/d from €75/105; ) This large hotel is a good midrange choice and often has some tempting last-minute deals and spa packages. The restaurant does upmarket international food, using fresh and seasonal farm and field products (mains €6 to €17); there’s even a decent kids’ menu.
Weinlokal Zum Schwan ( 034671-624 32; Erfurter Strasse 9, Bad Frankenhausen; mains €8-14; ) This restaurant, in one of the oldest half-timbered buildings in town, serves local Sauerbraten (sour marinated beef) and juicy steaks, and has about three dozen wines.
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Getting There & Around
Bad Frankenhausen is no longer served by train. To get there from, say, Erfurt, first catch a regional train to Sondershausen, Heldrungen, Artern or some other village and then switch to a bus or rent a bicycle. In Sondershausen, Radwanderzentrum Kyffhäuserkreis ( 034671-509 38; August-Bebel-Strasse 27; 8am-2pm Mon-Fri & by arrangement) has a sizeable fleet of bicycles and charges between €3 and €5 per day. It also has a branch ( 034671-777 71; Am Bahnhof 42) in Bad Frankenhausen.
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THURINGIAN FOREST
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The Thuringian Forest (Thüringer Wald) is about tradition, not trendiness; family, not flings – it’s an ingenious blend of nature and culture. Stretching from Eisenach in the northwest to Saalfeld in the southeast, it’s a mountainous region, with crags and peaks rising to about 1000m. Germany’s most popular trail, the Rennsteig, runs for 169km along spectacular ridges. This and scores of other trails, ski slopes and cycle paths are here for the taking, demanding only that you bring a sense of wonderment and respect for nature.
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EISENACH
03691 / pop 43,500
Eisenach is a small town on the edge of the Thuringian forest whose modest appearance belies its association with two German heavyweights: Johann Sebastian Bach and Martin Luther. Luther went to school here and later returned to protective custody in the Wartburg, now one of Germany’s most famous castles and a Unesco World Heritage Site. A century later, Bach, the grandest of all baroque musicians, was born in a wattle-and-daub home and attended the same school as Luther had. Eisenach also has a century-old automotive tradition – the world’s first BMW rolled off the local assembly line in 1929. And when it’s time to shake off culture and civilisation, remember that the famous Rennsteig hiking trail is only a hop, skip and jump away.
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Orientation
Except for the Wartburg, which is 2km southwest of town, most sights are concentrated around the Markt, a 15-minute walk west from the Hauptbahnhof. Buses to the Wartburg and the Hohe Sonne trail head stop right outside the Hauptbahnhof.
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Information
Internet (Point Shop; Hauptbahnhof; per 30min €1; 5am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm Sat, 8am-9pm Sun) Two terminals inside a train station shop.
Post office (Markt 6; 8.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-noon Sat)
Sparkasse (Karlstrasse 2-4) Bank with ATM.
Thalia ( 711 50; Karlstrasse 6) Bookshop.
Tourist office ( 792 30; www.eisenach.info; Markt 24; 10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun) Staff also sell the Classic Card (€19 for 72 hours), which is good for public transport and admission to all the important sights, including