The German Hiking Association (DWV) analyzed Google searches of hiking trails – and the ridgetop trail in southern Thuringia left the other German hiking trails far behind. Its top position is no surprise: The Rennsteig is the most frequented long-distance hiking trail in Germany, attracting some 100,000 hikers a year. It starts near the Wartburg, the castle near Eisenach where Martin Luther translated the Bible. It also passes through the winter sports mecca of Oberhof, the future site of the 2023 Biathlon and Luge World Championships. The tourism infrastructure is being expanded here, including an extraordinary hotel, the “Familux Resort The Grand Green”, being built by the Austria-based Mayer Family Hotels Group. Rennsteig fans can check in starting in 2021. (hw/gro)
