Map on the cycle path in Thuringia
The green heart of Germany is known for its cultural riches such as B. Weimar or also the Wartburg at Eisenach. These national treasures can also be explored by bike. Thuringia's long-distance cycle path network is 1,800 km long, with the river valleys of Werra, Saale, Ilm and Unstrut waiting to be discovered by bike. Those who love the original can take the Rennsteig cycle path in the Thuringian Forest let off steam.
Thuringia's long-distance cycle network is constantly being improved. Unlike in other federal states, many paths are built especially for cyclists. So you don't always have to flee from the big tractors of grim farmers.
The Thuringian regional railways take bicycles with them for free. The recommended hopper ticket, which allows a journey of up to 50 km, is available as a single trip for € 4.90 or as a return trip for € 7.90. Your own children and grandchildren under the age of 15 travel free of charge (April 2017)
Long-distance cycle routes
Cyclists entrance sign at the entrance to the town far from the road
- Elster cycle path
- Long-distance cycle route Euregio Egrensis
- Harz circuit - just a few kilometers north of Nordhausen in Thuringia
- Herkules-Wartburg cycle path - only a few kilometers run at Eisenach in Thuringia.
- Iron Curtain Trail - along the southern and western borders of the country along the former inner-German border.
- Leineradfernweg - start in Leinefelde in Thuringia Eichsfeld. Continuation in Lower Saxony Friedland as
Leine-Heide cycle path beyond the inflow into the Aller to after Hamburg. - Main-Werra cycle path · 140 km with gentle and medium inclines - connects the Main Valley in Würzburg with the foothills of the Rhön and the Thuringian Forest to Meiningen in southern Thuringia.
- Rennsteig cycle path
- Long-distance cycle route Thuringian city chain
- Rhön cycle path
- Saale cycle path
- Viaduct cycle path(Planning) - Railway cycle path on the border with Saxony in Altenburg
- Werra valley cycle path
Railway cycle path in front of Nägelstedt an der Unstrut
Regional routes
- 1806 Napoleon cycle path - in the footsteps of Napoleon from Jena above Apolda to Bad Sulza and Auerstedt. The paths were left historical, so only occasionally (e.g. on the Ilm and Saale because of the river cycle paths) adapted to the needs of cyclists. Info in the Thuringia cycle route planner
- Apfelstädt cycle path - 27 km along the apple town of Tambach-Dietharz am Rennsteig via Georgenthal to Günthersleben-Wechmar am Long-distance cycle route Thuringian city chain. The route partly uses a former railway line. (Info flyer with map)
- Bach bike adventure route- The 54 km long route follows in the footsteps of the Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach in the districts of Gotha and Ilmenau.
Feininger Tower in Mellingen
- Emberg cycle path - connects Ulster and Felda and runs partly on the railway line of the Oechsener Eisenbahn. The signage is incomplete, but the quality of the paths is good (Route in the Thuringia cycle route planner)
- Feldatal cycle path - in the Thuringian Rhön along the Felda
- Feininger cycle path in the footsteps of Lyonel Feininger near Weimar (Route information)
- Finnebahn cycle path - 18 km from Kölleda to the state border of Saxony-Anhalt on the Finnebahn route. Continuation on the railway line to Laucha (Unstrut) is conceivable. In Lossa connection to the Finne cycle path - 26 km from Memleben an der Unstrut to Eckartsberga-Marienthal.
- Gera cycle path from Thuringian Forest above Erfurt up to the unstrut.
- Haseltal cycle path - 23 km from Grimmenthal an der Werra to Suhl through the Hasel valley
- Ilmtal cycle path - the most popular. 125 km in the green Ilm valley from Allzunah over Weimar to big herring.
- Ilm-Rennsteig cycle path - 20 km of extensive railway cycle path that connects the Ilmtal cycle path near Ilmenau to the Rennsteig cycle path near Neustadt am Rennsteig. 15 km of asphalted railway cycle path to Großbreitenbach. The section from the Waldhotel Hohe Tanne to the ridge of the Thuringian Forest runs on forest roads with coarser gravel (Wikipedia)
- Kanonenbahn cycle path - The long-planned cycle path parallel to the draisine route between Lengenfeld unterm Stein and Dingelstädt finished in 2019. It runs on the route of the former 2nd track, which incidentally was dismantled after the 1st World War. The 22 km long and paved route leads through 5 tunnels. With the path there is a supra-regional link from Werra cycle path (Room Eschwege) in Frieda to the upper one Unstrut cycle path to Thuringia. With the 1530 m long Küllstedter Tunnel, the cycle route has the longest cycle tunnel in Germany. The second longest bicycle tunnel in Germany is the 1173 m long Milseburg tunnel in the Rhön. Four high viaducts allow a view into the depths. Thanks to the draisines, the tunnels are open all year round. In the immediate vicinity runs the "Pferdebachtalradweg", another, albeit very incomplete, railway cycle path with which the Kanonenweg joins in Großtöpfer.
- Kyffhäuser cycle path - around the Kyffhauser (Info flyer with map)
View from the exit of the Barbarossa cave onto the Kyffhäuser cycle path
- Laura cycle path - follows a disused railway line from Weimar up to the unstrut. The track was called "Laura".
- Loquitz cycle path - 30 km long cycle route that crosses the Saale / Main watershed. From Kaulsdorf an der Saale (at 230 m) the route leads steadily up the Loquitz to south of Probstzella at around 380 m above sea level. Here the route leaves the valley, as there is no bike connection in the valley in the direction of Steinbach as an alternative to the busy main road. On the descent to Ludwigsstadt there is another 150 meters of altitude lost, as the route does not even return to valley level here before the final ascent of around 250 meters to the watershed begins. The route problem here is in principle a "national gap lock", as it is an important cycle connection from the Franconia area (Bamberg) to central Germany (Halle / Leipzig area). To the east of Steinbach, the route joins the Rennsteig cycle path at an altitude of 680 m. Route on Openstreetmap.
- Mill cycle path Saale-Ilm - of Stadtilm at the Ilm to Rudolstadt at the Saale. Enables a great Ilm-Saale tour or offers an alternative to the Saale cycle path by cycling over the Ilm to Bad Kösen.
- Mommelstein cycle path - partly a Railway cycle path, which connects Schmalkalden with the Rennsteig bike route. The highlight is a tunnel.
- Nessetal cycle path - 55 km long connection between Erfurt and the Eisenach-Kindel industrial area and airfield. The Nessetal can hardly be recognized as a valley, the Nesse more like a stream than a river. You cycle largely through the Feldmark and bypass the city of Gotha. The last 17 km (in front of the Kindel airfield) run along the route of a former railway line. The quality of the paths is at a premium level. 1st official info flyer "2. Railway cycle paths"
- Oberland cycle path - 15 km railway cycle path from Saalburg to Schleiz. Part of the bike path is also from Saale cycle path used.Info flyer
- Orla cycle path - From the source of the Orla at Triptis, the 34 km long route leads over Neustadt (Orla) to Freienorla on Saale cycle path.
- Pleiße cycle path - 55 km bike path along the Pleiße from Leipzig to Wilchwitz.
- Rosatal cycle path - this 21 km long route connects Werra and Felda
- Schwarzatal cycle path - starts in Neuhaus am Rennweg and follows the Schwarza to after Rudolstadt-Schwarza on the Saale. Approx. 40 km downhill, partly with the Oberweißbacher Bergbahn. Flyer PDF
Lower gate in Heldburg (Werra-Obermain cycle path)
- Sülzetal cycle path - of Meiningen out to the Sülzetal and then to Mellrichstadt in francs. It is only signposted in Thuringia, so it is strictly speaking shorter. See also Main-Werra cycle path
- Thuringian mill cycle path - 80 km circuit over 25 mills of different types between Jena and Eisenberg. Uses sections of the Thuringian city chain and also the Saale cycle path. Path quality varies greatly. Also paths on the former railway line.
- Unstrut-Werra cycle path - across northern Thuringia on old railway lines
- Werra-Obermain cycle path - the easternmost and shortest Werra-Main connection. Approx. 60 km from Hildburghausen at the upper Werra Bad Staffelstein on the Main river. The track splits behind Stressenhausen in 2 alternatives, which can also be cycled as a round tour. The eastern variant is shaped by the Rodach and is more interesting.
- Werra-Suhltal cycle path - 33 km from Bad Salzungen on the Werra through the Suhltal to Berka back to the Werra. 110 meters in altitude. Can be used as a bypass route for the "Kali triangle" along the Werra cycle path, which is also the abbreviation for a Werra loop.
MTB regions
Help for creating new cycle route articles:
- Wikivoyage: skeleton for cycle routes - basic framework for cycle routes
- Wikivoyage: specification for cycle routes - explanation of the basic structure
- finished example: Fulda cycle path
Simply insert missing routes into the lists available here (definition of regional route: up to 150 km in length)
Web links
- official cycle route planner of the state of Thuringia
- Thuringia tourism - Official tourist site with a free cycling map
