Day 1: Erfurt - Nebra
After the official welcome and briefing, we start our tour in Erfurt. We reach Weimar, the city of Germanys top poets Goethe and Schiller, very soon. Now we follow the Ilm and Saale river to Naumburg, where the UNESCO heritage of the Naumburg Cathedral is worth at least a photo stopp. Behind Naumburg we meet the Unstrut and the corresponding cycle path takes us to the wine town of Freyburg, where e.g. the famous Rotkäppchen sparkling wine is produced. In Burgscheidungen we have a beautiful view from the castle garden into the Unstrut valley and to our stage destination Nebra, which we reach soon.
Track 2: Shortly after the start, we leave the regular track and wind our way up to the Großer Ettelsberg. On the way we pass the former Buchenwald concentration camp. After leaving Apolda we turn towards the Saale river, which we meet at Dornburg with its beautiful rococo castle and after a rapid descent into the valley.
Route character: slightly hilly (Track 1) to hilly (Track 2)
Day 2: Nebra - Mühlhausen
Our way initially leads us largely flat along the Unstrut. Shortly after the start we pass close to the place where the famous Nebra Sky Disc was found and make a detour to the Memleben monastery. At Heldrungen we can see the Kyffhäuser mountain and the Emporer Wilhelm monument in a distance. After cycling through Porta Thuringia, we leave the Unstrut and at the latest at Wasserthaleben we notice the increasingly hilly landscape. We are heading towards Mühlhausen with its medieval city center and the remarkably city wall, that is close to the geographical center of Germany.
Track 2: From the Unstrut valley we take a ride to the Kyffhäuser mountain, the highest point of the day. We cross the mountain completely, including a stop at the Emporer Wilhelm monument. Before we reach Mühlhausen, we make a short detour to the official center of Germany near Niederdorla.
Route character: hilly (track 1), hilly to mountainous (track 2)
Day 3: Mühlhausen - Eisenach
On the third day we will accompany the Unstrut again for a short while. At Dingelstädt we turn onto the Kanonenbahn cycle path. With its numerous viaducts and tunnels it provides plenty of variety. After approx. 30 km we reach the highest point of the day and pedal (with some challenging counter climbs) down into the Werra valley. At Treffurt there are numerous relics of the German-German history, e.g. the agent lock and the listening post on the Heldrastein. From here, perhaps the most beautiful section of the Werra Valley brings us to Creuzburg with its beautiful medieval bridge and on to Hörschel, the gateway to the Rennsteig. A little later we reach our today's destination Eisenach, where we can see the mountainous ridges of the Thuringian Forest with the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Wartburg.
Track 2: As soon as we leave the Kanonenbahn cycle path, we climb up to Katharinenberg, cross Track 1 at Großburschla and follow a car-free mountain road to the Heldrastein, which, with its significant ascent, lets you forget the scenic beauty for a short time. Behind Treffurt, both tracks reunite on the way to Eisenach. If you like, you can take a detour to the Wartburg at the end of the day.
Route character: wavy, but with a long ascent to the beginning (track 1), slightly mountainous (track 2)
Day 4: Eisenach - Erfurt
Today we cycle a large part of the day along the northern foothills of the Thuringian Forest. We reach the highest point of the tour in Crawinkel with about 500 meters of altitude. We cycle through the Jonastal to Arnstädt, the oldest city in Thuringia. Finally, we meet the Domplatz in Erfurt, before we reach the finish line of the tour at the tour hotel, the starting point of the tour.
Track 2 turns from Sattelstädt into the Thuringian Forest and shortly afterwards reaches the Inselberg, which can be seen from afar, with its steep inclines. After a rapid descent, there is a long uphill climb to Oberhof with its numerous winter sports facilities. Both tracks unite in Crawinkel for the onward journey to the tour destination in Erfurt.
Route character: very hilly (track 1), mountainous (track 2)
