Eisenach: Drachenschlucht, Landgrafenschlucht and the Wartburg

This is a very beautiful walk which consists of three parts that could also be done seperately.

The first part is the walk through the Drachensclucht, a canyon of more or less 3 kilometers that starts at a heighth of about 265 m. and ends at 430m.

The narrowest part has a width of 68 cm. The canyon abounds with bottlenecks, swirls, small waterfalls, big and small boulders, platforms to walk on steps tp go up, and almost at the end a source, the Marienbachquelle.

The passage may be slow if there are many people because of all these people standing still and waiting for the right photo moments but it is quite overwhelming.

Arriving at Hohe Sonne, a place where one could eat and drink, we crossed the road, the B19, and followed a track to the north east, the Weinstrasse, which gradually goes up giving you some good views along the way, also of the Wartburg.

Having reached the Grossser Drachenstein, 471m., you will be rewarded with a majestic view towards the Hörselberg and the Grosser Inselsberg.

The descent will lead you to the Landgrafenschlucht, a very different but just as impressive gorge. The Landgrafenschlucht is less daunting than the neighbouring Drachenschlucht, but its rock formations and vegetation are no less impressive. A wide, easy to walk path winds itself downwards; in some places it is secured by wooden planks or steps or small bridges and ropes to hold on to.

Back at the B19 we followed a track to Waldhaus Sängerwiese and from there took the signposted track to the Wartburg (1,5km).

The last part of this track is really beautiful with a permanent view of the burg, ending with a very nice climb to the burg itself.

Then it seems as if you have stepped back into the middle ages. The burg is a tiny village and everything is beautiful here, there is even a medieval garden.

For the descent towards the B19 you can choose from various tracks. We liked the one we took, winding itself down alongside the steep huge rock formations.