EA3 - Circular hiking trail - "Wartburg Experience Route" - Thuringian Forest

The hike begins in the Eisenach city center at the market square. There you will find the town hall, the city palace with the Thuringian Museum and the Georgen Church. Martin Luther preached in the city church during the Reformation and Johann Sebastian Bach was baptized there. For detailed information on the sights, you can visit the Luther Trail Information Center (Tourist Information).

From the market, you go to the Preacher's Church, built in the 13th century in honor of Saint Elisabeth as part of a Dominican monastery. Here begins the Luther Experience Trail, which leads over the Eisenach Schlossberg to the Donkey Station. The steep but very interesting ascent features 15 large panels that inform about the reformer and look at significant historical events during Luther's lifetime, e.g., the introduction of the printing press, the discovery of America, or advances in medicine and astronomy. 

One last steep climb leads to the Wartburg. Due to its outstanding cultural-historical significance, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. After a detailed visit, the descent begins past the Elisabeth Plan, an unofficial pilgrimage site (Miracle of the Rose), where around 1225 a small hospital for sick and needy people, founded by Saint Elisabeth, once stood. Today, only the Elisabeth Fountain commemorates the former hospital. After visiting the Elisabeth Plan, the descent continues through the Helltal to the Reuter-Wagner Museum. A stylishly furnished villa that hosts the largest Wagner collection outside Bayreuth.