Fun facts about Thuringia

Thuringia is often referred to as the green heart of Germany, a title which the state owes in part to the famed Thuringian Forest, a destination popular with hikers and winter sports enthusiasts. One of the most well-known hiking routes in Europe, the so-called Rennsteig, runs along the crest of the mountain range for a length of 168 km. The area is also home to Europe's longest (400 km) sled dog race "Trans Thüringia." The other reason why Thuringia is considered Germany's green heart is because around half the state's land is used for agriculture due to the high quality of the soil. Important crops are grains such as wheat and highly prized barley for brewing, sugarbeets, rapeseed and a wide variety of vegetables. Thuringia has also long enjoyed an excellent reputation for the processing of agricultural products into foods for human consumption. While in Weimar, why not try the famous Thuringian potato dumplings or stop by a booth and have a Thüringer Rostbratwurst, or Thuringian grilled sausage. As is true for many other typical German specialties, this famous sausage also goes back to ancient traditions, with some sources dating the oldest recipe all the way back to 1404. (In addition, the Thuringian Bratwurst Purity Law is the oldest German food purity law, dating to 1432).