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13.06.2020 Above Thuringia's forests. After more than one week of rather cloudy and rainy weather, the sun is out again and temperatures have gone up quite a bit. We have been making the most of this presumably brief period of fine weather by walking a little in Thuringia's rich green forests, which the region is well known for. However, it took quite a while for people to decide that, after various periods of intense deforestation, the remaining primeval broadleaf woodlands of Cental Germany are something worth protecting. 1997 saw the creation of Hainich National Park – apparently Germany's biggest deciduous forest, consisting mostly of beech trees, and now listed by UNESCO. There are countless hiking trails there, and a pretty cool canopy walkway, several metres above the ground, which we visited this morning. It was fascinating to be on eye level with the very tops of trees and see them sway in the wind. Yesterday, on our way to Hainich, we also took time to look down on treetops – this time from Wartburg castle, just outside the city of Eisenach. The castle is a very impressive, well-preserved structure that in parts dates back to the 12th century, and is mostly known as the place where reformer Martin Luther worked on his Bible translation from Latin to the language of the common people, some 500 years ago. We accessed the fortress via a gorge called Drachenschlucht, a magical place full of high, mossy rocks that create a nice path with some very narrow passages to squeeze through. It was shadowy and cool under the trees and down in the gorge, a welcome change from the blazing hot sunshine. #scoutbound #drachenschlucht #thueringerwald #wartburg #eisenach #nationalparkhainich #hainich #baumkronenpfad #wanderlust #dpsg #cycling

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