The Thuringian Town Chain is an approximately 225 km long long-distance cycle route through culturally and scenically charming Thuringia along the Thuringian towns. It leads from the gates of the Thuringian Forest near Eisenach in the west once through the entire state to the skat city of Altenburg in the east. The Thuringian city chain is particularly suitable for those interested in culture and touring cyclists.
The long-distance cycle route also passes through the Saale-Holzland district and the Mühltal valley. From here you can continue cycling towards Gera/ Altenburg in the east or Jena/ Weimar in the west. From there, a train will take you back to Hermsdorf and the Mühltal.
A few tips about the cities
Weimar

Weimar is a fairytale small town in the middle of the green heart of Germany. The spirit of German classicism is alive in this city of culture, the spirit of the Weimar Republic and the Bauhaus. Cranach, Bach, Goethe, Schiller, Coudray, Nietzsche, Liszt, Kessler, Feininger lived and worked here and gave this city its unique flair. Today, as in the past, the art world is drawn to Weimar to invent and create something new in the footsteps of their ancestors.
Jena

Jena is a modern student and high-tech city. Important personalities studied and taught at Jena University, including Schiller. His residence can be visited in Jena. Goethe also worked here, promoting the university and the botanical garden. Groundbreaking developments by Abbe and Zeiss can be discovered in the Optical Museum. Every summer, the Kulturarena thrills as a music and culture festival. Always enticing are Jena's charming surroundings, nestled between shell limestone slopes that are home to many species of orchids.
Gera

Nestled in the valley of the White Elster River, Gera, together with Ronneburg, was the venue for the 2007 Federal Garden Show. The former Prussian residence is a green city with its city forest, riverside meadows and many parks. Gera has much to offer worth seeing: the traditional Art Nouveau theater, the Municipal Art Collection in the Orangery, the museum birthplace of the city's most famous artist son, the painter Otto Dix. Also interesting are the caves, a historical labyrinth of underground passages.
Altenburg

In eastern Thuringia lies Altenburg, the cradle of skat and playing card town. The 1000-year-old residence of the Wettin princes is an insider's tip: Marvel at the ducal living culture of many centuries in the imposing castle next to playing cards, stroll through the magnificent castle park to the Lindenau Museum with its valuable art collections and the Mauritianum Natural History Museum or discover the lovingly restored old town. If you want to taste the liquid specialties of the city, you should visit the Art Nouveau brewery with museum as well as the distillery factory.