Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [236]
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Dangling down into a valley from wooded slopes about 20km south of Gotha, picturesque Friedrichroda was a busy resort town in GDR days. It fell somewhat out of favour in the 1990s, when East Germans set their sights on Majorca and other beach destinations, but its popularity has since returned, especially with improved infrastructure and the development of health and spa tourism. Friedrichroda is also working towards establishing itself as a winter sports centre.
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Orientation & Information
Friedrichroda has two train stations: Bahnhof Friedrichroda in the east and Bahnhof Reinhardsbrunn north of the centre. Both are stops of the Thüringerwaldbahn (which is actually a tram; see the boxed text, Click here).
The tourist office ( 332 00; www.friedrichroda.info, in German; Marktstrasse 13-15; 9am-5pm Mon-Thu, 9am-6pm Fri, 9am-noon Sat) is in the centre of town. A bank with an ATM is nearby at Hauptstrasse 35-37.
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Sights & Activities
Friedrichroda’s prime attraction is the Marienglashöhle ( 311 667; tour adult/concession €6/2.50; tours 9am-5pm Apr-Oct, to 4pm Nov-Mar), a large gypsum cave featuring an underwater lake and a crystal grotto. You enter the latter in the dark, then – just to give you that otherworldly feel – the theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind plays in the background as the light gradually brightens, unveiling a sparkling universe. Most of the crystallised gypsum here has been harvested and used to decorate statues of the Virgin Mary and altars in the region and beyond. The cave is about a 40-minute walk through the woods from the city centre, and is also a stop on the Thüringerwaldbahn.
In the northern part of town, hemmed in by a lavish English park with ancient trees, the neo-Gothic Schloss Reinhardsbrunn (1828) cuts a commanding presence. It was here that Queen Victoria of England first laid eyes on her cousin and future husband, Duke Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. An English buyer has since bought it and plans to reopen it as a hotel.
The Schloss abuts the lovely landscaped Kurpark, home to the Ludowinger spring, where excellent mineral water bubbles up from a depth of 58m. Much of it is bottled, but you’re free to fill up from the taps in one of the park’s glass pavilions.
For an easy day trip into the forest, take the Thüringer Wald-Express bus (€4.50) to the Heuberghaus on the mountain ridge, hike along the ridge to the Inselsberg peak (90 minutes), then take the Inselsberg Express bus (€4.50) down to Tabarz and catch the Thüringerwaldbahn back to Friedrichroda (€1.35). (It sounds more complicated than it is.)
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Sleeping & Eating
Friedrichroda has good tourism infrastructure but can get deluged with visitors in summer. If you need to satisfy a country hunger, walk along Hauptstrasse, sniff and take your pick. Virtually all restaurants have a traditional atmosphere. The daily spa tax (Kurtaxe) of €1.20 is added to overnight stays.
Pension Feierabend ( 304 386; www.pension-feierabend.de, in German; Büchig 1; s €25-30, d €36-40; ) Small but beautiful, this half-timbered family-run house is a class act and is hard to beat for value, comfort and character. It’s in a quiet spot, yet is only a saunter from the Kurpark. All rooms have a balcony but rooms 8 and 9 are especially spacious.
Pension Villa Phönix ( 200 880; www.villa-phoenix.de; Tabarzer Strasse 3; s/d €35/60) Although this ‘phoenix’ rises up right alongside the road, double glazing keeps out the street noise. Coloured walls and knick-knacks in the six rooms create the illusion of staying at your friend’s pad. Some have enclosed balconies.
Berghotel ( 3540; www.a-z-wohlfuehlhotels.de, in German; Zum Panoramablick 1; r €50-80; ) Rooms come in four categories at this GDR-era behemoth with an enviable hilltop location. None are particularly large, but, with easy access to the outdoors and an activity program that ranges from table-tennis tournaments to dance parties, you probably won’t be spending much time in them. The