A narrow valley, a beautiful gorge: the Drachenschlucht (dragon canyon) at Eisenach, Germany is a good place for a nice walk; in fact one of the most beautiful I‘ve ever done in a gorge. Through the Mariental you can walk on a well-maintained path consisting of wooden and sometimes metal walkways. It leads along and above the water of the small river and sometimes the gorge is very narrow (at minimum 68 cm) – only one person can pass at a time.
In parallel to the Drachenschlucht the federal road B19 can be found. At the upper and the lower end you will find car parking areas and bus stops – both points can be easily reached with public transport from Eisenach. The stop at the upper end is called Hohe Sonne, the one at the lower end Mariental. Walking the gorge down the hill from Hohe Sonne lasts around one hour, if you do it the other way around you might need 1.5 hours.
If you want you can also create a round course via the Weinstraße. In that case you should start at the lower end. I preferred to start at Hohe Sonne and after passing the Drachenschlucht to continue on the Wichmann promenade towards the city center. Be reminded that the tour includes some steps and you can‘t do it with a wheelchair or buggy. Walking through the narrow gorge with high walls covered with moss is a unique experience.
Drachenschlucht
Eisenach
Germany
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