Thuringia

Thuringia is a state in central Germany often called the green heart of the country for its extensive forests. Its capital is Erfurt. A land of immense cultural importance, it nurtured Goethe, Schiller, Bach and the Bauhaus, packing remarkable heritage into a compact, wooded landscape.

Thuringia is dominated by the Thuringian Forest and rolling uplands, with the fertile Thuringian Basin in its center. It is landlocked and hilly, drained by rivers such as the Saale. The climate is temperate continental.

Thuringia has a towering cultural legacy centered on Weimar, home to Goethe and Schiller and the birthplace of the Bauhaus. It is known for its forests, the Wartburg Castle where Luther translated the Bible, and hearty cuisine including Thuringian sausage.

A historic patchwork of small duchies, Thuringia was a crucible of German classical culture in Weimar and of the Reformation at the Wartburg. After lying in East Germany, it was re-established as a federal state in 1990.