March 12, 2021

Thuringia celebrates almost a millennium of Jewish culture

Thuringia Tourism Board is at ITB Berlin NOW this year, promoting the German state as a top destination for nature and cultural holidays. At Thuringia’s ITB Brand card, trade visitors can learn about this year’s main news and offerings.

Thuringia has one of the most important Jewish heritages in Germany as Jewish communities have been present for 900 years.

“The reminders of Jewish life in Thuringia are of great importance to Thuringia’s tourism marketing,” explains Dr Franz Hofmann, CEO of Thüringer Tourismus GmbH. The ‘Nine hundred years of Jewish life in Thuringia’ campaign will run officially until the end of September 2021 and feature numerous highlights.

Half a dozen exceptional exhibitions and circuits highlight the contribution of Jewish communities to Thuringia.

Weimar, city of romantic gardens

As the Federal Horticultural show is hosted in Erfurt, the neighbouring city of Weimar puts the emphasize on its own gardens and parks. The fashion for English-style romantic gardens reached its peak between 1775 and 1825 with German poet Goethe influencing the complete redesign of the Park along the Ilm. Weimar’s parks will host a series of events such as new exhibitions, thematic walks, an horticultural journey through the ages, the Weimar “Gartenlust” Festival and the orange tree procession in Belvedere Palace.

Thuringia’s Green Belt, nature in former “no mans land”

“Nature knows no borders” is a joint campaign of Thuringia’s Department of the Environment and the Thuringia Tourism Board. It aims at boosting Thuringia’s Green Belt as a tourism destination. The area used to be the border between West and East Germany. Being inaccessible during many decades, it became a special biotope where rare species are now living. In 2018, the 763 km-long green belt was made a National Monument offering several hiking routes through pristine landscapes. A village separated by a wall became a popular destination for visitors.

Thuringia celebrates almost a millennium of Jewish culture

Photo: Erfurt is home to one of Germany’s oldest Jewish communities (Photo: Cleverdis/LCitrinot)


Facts & Figures

A rough summary of Thuringia may read like this: very centrally located in Germany, about 2.2 million inhabitants on slightly over 16,000 km², five nature parks, two UNESCO biosphere reserves, one national park. 18 UNESCO-listed sites, birthplace of Bach and Bauhaus, Reformation history, around 400 castles and palaces. 7,500 km of hiking trails, 1,500 km of quality cycling paths.

Thuringia celebrates almost a millennium of Jewish culture
Weimar park am Ilm embodies the romantic spirit of Goethe (Photo: Cleverdis/LCitrinot)