Thuringia (Thüringen) is a landlocked state at the geographic heart of Germany, often called the country's "Green Heart" for its dense forests and rolling hills. Home to Erfurt, Weimar, Jena, Gera, and Eisenach, Thuringia punches far above its size in cultural weight: it is the birthplace of the Reformation's Bible translation at Wartburg Castle, the cradle of German Classicism through Goethe and Schiller in Weimar, and the founding ground of the Bauhaus movement. Dense forests, half-timbered old towns, and a compact, affordable travel footprint make it one of central Germany's most rewarding regions to explore.
Luxury hotels
Five-star and palace properties.
Hotel Elephant Weimar, Autograph Collection
Weimar's most storied hotel, occupying a landmark position on the historic Markt square since the 18th century. Guests have included Goethe-era luminaries and, in the 20th century, Thomas Mann. The hotel houses the AnnA restaurant and combines classical architecture with contemporary Autograph Collection styling.
Romantik Hotel auf der Wartburg
A hotel built into the grounds of the Wartburg, the UNESCO World Heritage castle above Eisenach where Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German. Rooms and the restaurant terrace look out over the Thuringian Forest, and guests have direct evening access to the castle grounds after day-trippers have left.
Dorint Hotel am Goethepark Weimar
A four-star superior hotel bordering Weimar's Goethepark, with a spa, indoor pool and conference facilities that make it the preferred upper-tier choice for visitors combining classical sightseeing with a higher level of comfort than Weimar's boutique properties offer.
Berghotel Oberhof (Villa Silva)
A wellness-focused mountain hotel in Oberhof, the Thuringian Forest's winter sports centre, with a 1,350 square metre spa and saltwater pool. The hotel is positioned as the region's main alternative to the classical-heritage luxury of Weimar and Eisenach, built instead around forest air, skiing and spa treatments.
Fine dining
Michelin-starred and chef-driven restaurants.
Clara - Restaurant im Kaisersaal
Thuringia's only Michelin-starred restaurant, housed in the historic Kaisersaal building in Erfurt's old town, offering four- to seven-course tasting menus of technically precise, cosmopolitan cooking with regional touches.
AnnA - Hotel Elephant Weimar
A refined dining room inside Weimar's landmark Hotel Elephant, pairing a historic setting on the Markt square with contemporary international cooking and regional ingredients.
Spas & wellness
World-class spa retreats and treatments.
Berghotel Oberhof Wellness Centre
A 1,350 square metre spa and wellness area in the Thuringian Forest resort of Oberhof, with a saltwater indoor pool, counter-current swimming, Turkish bath and a full treatment menu including massages and facials.
Toskana Therme Bad Sulza
A thermal bathing and sauna complex in Bad Sulza, styled on Tuscan architecture, with indoor and outdoor thermal pools and an extensive sauna landscape. Connected by a glass walkway to the Hotel an der Therme.
Dorint Hotel am Goethepark Weimar Spa
A hotel spa with indoor pool and treatment rooms bordering Weimar's Goethepark, offering day access alongside overnight guest use.