Eisenach is a small city in western Thuringia that punches far above its weight in history. Above the town sits the Wartburg, one of the most important castles in Germany — where Martin Luther hid from the Pope and translated the New Testament into German, where Elisabeth of Thuringia performed her legendary acts of charity, and where German students gathered in 1817 to call for national unity. The castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the main reason to come.
Johann Sebastian Bach was born here in 1685, and the Bachhaus museum on the Frauenplan is an engaging introduction to his life and music. The Lutherhaus, where the reformer lived as a schoolboy, is another major draw.
The old town below the castle is compact and walkable, with half-timbered houses, a market square, and the Nikolai Gate leading to a historic wine restaurant. A surprise for car enthusiasts is the Automobilwelt Eisenach museum, tracing the city's history of making Wartburg, Dixi, and BMW vehicles.
The Thuringian Forest begins at the edge of town, with 243 kilometres of marked hiking trails heading south into the hills, including the dramatic Drachenschlucht gorge near the Wartburg. Eisenach sits on the Autobahn 4 and is well served by ICE and regional trains, making it an easy stop between Frankfurt and Erfurt.