The small state of Thuringia (Thueringen) – situated in the very centre of Germany – is full of surprises with more than 400 castles and palaces! Often surrounded by beautiful parks and gardens they are real visitor magnets and invite you to a trip into the past of Thuringia.

Thuringia’s most famous castle is the Wartburg in Eisenach, which belongs to UNESCO World Heritage that dates back as far as 1067! This is where the great reformer Martin Luther translated the New Testament from Greek into German. Visitors will find different architectural styles and an amazing interior that inspired King Ludwig II of Bavaria to build Neuschwanstein Castle! Every year, a series of high-class concerts take place with performances of the Wagner opera “Tannhäuser” “or the “Parsifal”. And, not to mss is the beautiful historic Christmas market that takes place each year in the classic winter wonderland setting.

In Gotha the majestic baroque style Friedenstein Castle (Schloss Friedenstein) awaits visitors with a wonderful old art collection and the oldest baroque court theatre in the world – the Ekhof Theatre built from 1681 to 1683. Amazingly the historic stage machinery still works! Each summer, the “Ekhof Festival” features unique opera performances. Around the castle, you can stroll the beautiful English style Friedenstein Park and picturesque orangery. They are lovely places for recreation and relaxation.

Amongst the numerous medieval castles in Thuringia are Leuchtenburg Castle near Jena, Residence castle Heidecksburg in Rudolstadt (Schloss Heidecksburg) or Greifenstein with falconry in Bad Blankenburg. All of them are regular hosts to medieval festivals.

Especially in summer many visitors are attracted to the colorful parks and gardens that surround many castles. Molsdorf Palace in Thuringia’s capital Erfurt is a former pleasure palace in rococo style and is surrounded by an English garden. Erfurt’s Cyriaksburg Castle – a historic fortress – hosts the only gardening museum in Germany and is situated in the renowned Erfurt Garden Exhibition. The exhibit is open all year round displaying changing presentations that include vibrant flowers and plants, along with a Japanese and Rose Garden. Weimar does not stand far behind: the baroque Belvedere Castle lies in a traditional French landscape with an orangery, many exotic plants and a small maze. The largest park in Weimar – The Ilmpark –is set in an English landscape characterized by the river Ilm. Weimar is twinned with Stratford upon Avon, therefore in Ilmpark visitors find the only Shakespeare memorial in mainland Europe!

The small medieval spa town Bad Langensalza near Erfurt attracts visitors with no less than 7 parks and gardens! Amongst them are the largest Rose Garden in Thuringia, the Castle Gardens, a Botanic Garden and a Japanese Garden with an original Japanese Tea House where visitors can enjoy a Japanese teatime.

The three romantic Dornburg Palaces near Jena were all built in different styles: one in renaissance style with an English garden, one is a rococo palace with a French garden and the Old Castle, a former Palatine, displays Gothic style. Dornburg is especially famous for its beautiful rose garden and the yearly rose festival in June.

Thuringia with its wonderful castles, palaces and gardens is situated in the middle of Germany and can be reached as follows: By plane with Ryanair from London-Stansted to Altenburg, by train from Frankfurt/ Main or Nuremberg (2 hours with the ICE) or via the Autobahn A 4 by car and coach.

Information and brochures on the holiday state of Thuringia, accommodation and travel programs, event information, tickets and last-minute offers are available from the Tourist Information Thuringia on the hotline +49 (0) 361-37420 or on the internet at www.thuringia-tourism.com.