In the land of blue gold – Trail guide Thuringian Slate Mountains

Between the forests of the Rennsteig trail and the castles along the Saale river, idyllic, slate-roofed villages tell of the glory days of mining. The fjord-like low mountain landscape is begging to be explored by mountain bike. This Collection invites you on four exciting Tours, that lead through German history and culture, rounded off with hearty cuisine.

The Slate Mountains are the southeasternmost tip of Thuringia, directly on the border with Bavaria and adjoining the Thuringian Forest. The peaks along the ridge line, along which the Rennsteig trail also runs, reach 700 to 860 metres (2,290 to 2,620 ft). The Saale and Hohenwarte reservoirs are situated at under 300 metres (980 ft). This results in varied, undulating low mountain range landscapes.

The region has many bike-friendly hotels and inns, such as the Hotel & Restaurant “Zur Fern-mühle” in Ziegenrück ( fernmuehle.de ), the Garküche inn in Leutenberg ( garkueche.de ) or the Schlosshotel Eyba in Saalfeld ( schloss-hotel-eyba.de ). You can find further accommodation for cyclists on the ADFC website bettundbike.de/en.

This Collection is a perfect basis for your MTB stay in the Slate Mountains. If you’d rather have locals show you the region in person, contact Lucas Rahm from Trailwerk ( trailwerk.bike ) or Ronny Quitschalle, who offers tours, as well as lessons on riding technique and race training ( ronmanshow.com ).

For more inspiration, check out the Mountain Bike Magazine 02/2023, which includes a detailed account of our stay in Thuringia. You can find even more mountain biking bike-x.de/mountainbike (in German).