Sustainability is on everyone's lips, and it is important. It's about us and our future, about a healthy environment, healthy people, a fair and just world for everyone. Come along and discover good examples in Thuringia – certified spots, sustainabel offers, national natural landscapes and more!
The primeval forest is on your doorstep
The Treetop Path in Hainich
Climb to the summit of the primeval forest via the treetop route in Hainich National Park. But wait a minute, a primeval woodland in the middle of Thuringia? Don't worry, you won't have to search for camouflage makeup or fight your way through jungle thickets. This special tour requires only comfortable shoes and a sense of adventure.
The Hainich is Germany's largest contiguous deciduous woodland region, spanning 13,000 hectares. Approximately half of it is national park, and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011. For decades, large portions of the national park's woodland were a restricted military region, leaving them completely untouched. Nature was able to develop according to its own laws, and the "primeval forest" reappeared. The consequence is a sea of beech trees, as this tree species has taken over here. It's reminiscent of an enchanted storybook forest, and the treetop path provides a beautiful perspective of it.
An exciting nature experience
The starting point is Forsthaus Thiemsburg, from which a large hiking pathway with interactive and informative boards goes to the top of the treetop walk in a few minutes. This then gradually increases to a height of 24 meters, and you are right in the middle of it, high above the treetops. Enjoy the wind flowing around your nostrils and anticipate the numerous interactive stations where the residents of the ancient forest tell their story. You can unwind in the tranquil areas before the action-packed section begins. Visitors who are adventurous enough can experience the swaying of trees on suspension bridges from great heights - Greetings from Tarzan. However, fear of heights is out of place here, as is the 44-meter-high observation tower at the trail's terminus. Step by step, you ascend 231 steps, and the reward is, of course, the spectacular panoramic view.
©Tino Sieland, KTL – Kur und Tourismus Bad Langensalza
Back to the roots
Need a little break to get your pulse racing? Then visit the two adventure worlds at the National Park Center. The interactive "Root Cave" ("Wurzelhöhle") will shrink you to the size of a bacterium and teach you about life beneath the tree roots. There's more to see and learn in the "Discover the Secrets of the Hainich" adventure world.
⠇
Then it's back outside, where amazing pleasure awaits in the domain of Fagati. The cheeky tiny mythological creature is a secret resident of Hainich National Park. On the adventure playground, young and old can keep an eye out for him and learn in a playful way how the world can be protected more sustainably.
⠇
An experience for everyone
As you can see, there is a lot to uncover at Hainich National Park. And, best of all, an elevator makes the entire treetop route accessible to wheelchair users and families with baby carriages. The adventure worlds are also barrier-free, with a media guide guiding visitors around the exhibition in simple language, vibrant language for visually impaired guests, and international sign language.
Head pictures: ©Marco Fischer, Thüringer Tourismus GmbH; ©Jens Fischer; Baumkronenpfad im Nationalpark Hainich from the bird's eye view, ©Joachim Köhler, Thüringer Tourismus GmbH
Accessibility information
Anfahrt
Special barrier-free offers in Thuringia
The Toskana Therme and the Hotel an der Therme in Bad Sulza - in the middle of the gently rolling hills of the Tuscany of the East - offer everything you need for a holiday and relaxation.
(Photo: Stefan Hopf / Toskana World GmbH)
