In 2017, Andreas once again initiated Thuringian Naturist Days, this time with 10 events from 14 to 23 July.
► Fri 14 July: Nude hiking in the area of Gleichen Castle(s) [14 July 2017]
14 July, “International Day of Nudity“: German regional radio and TV station MDR had sent us a reporter to our start at a car park below Wachsenburg [en: Wachsenburg Castle], to carry out a few interviews with nude hikers. MDR then broadcasted them during the afternoon programme.
The ascent to the Wachsenburg was the first stage for the 17 naturists on our 14 km long hike. Although we had only a brief view into the castle grounds, we could still appreciate its exposed position.
The next stage led towards Gleichen Castle – “Gleichen“ is a proper family name and also refers in this case to “equals“ – and a vista opened up to give us many photo opportunities in direction of the south from Wachsenburg, and the ruin of Gleichen Castle on the north side of the motorway A4. We then went on to Mühlenburg Castle [en: Mill Castle]. When we arrived, we entered the castle grounds with its excellent view over Mühlberg to Gotha, climbed the tower, visited the exhibition room and enjoyed a refreshing, delicious, remarkably well presented ice cream.
At the end of the first day of the TNT we enjoyed delicious Western-style food in the restaurant Lasso which was full of (western) character.
► Sat 15 July: Nude hiking in the Schwarzatal [en: Schwarza Valley] near Schwarzberg [15 July 2017]
The first TNT weekend started in chilly conditions with temperatures around 14°C at the meeting point parking lot. However, 21 naturists started the 15 km long hike. As the wind blew a bit uncomfortably, many hikers stayed in warm clothing for a few hours. It was not until noon that the temperature reached 19°C and the sun was able to warm us up. Then all of us were able to hike as we should.
For dinner, the hungry hikers gathered in the restaurant at the railway station in Sitzendorf and enjoyed typical Thuringian cuisine.
► Sun 16 July: Nude hike from Pointersheim to Gölitzwände [en: Gölitz Walls] [16 July 2017]
Our Sunday started with early sunshine and 22°C and over 23°C air temperature throughout the day. The 30 nude hikers went past the mussel limestone walls, the bar-tower, the Fröbeldenkmal [en: Fröbel's memorial] and enjoyed a series of spectacular and memorable views. We had too little time to examine their geological and botanical particularities – for those, who are interested, a hike for more detailed examination will be surely worth the time.
After all, it was a special event when the students give their teacher Barop a lookout tower for the anniversary of his 50 years service. And the hikers could not forget that Friedrich Fröbel entered new territory when he defined the concept of the kindergarten at his children's therapy facility in Weimar in the 19th century.
Today, we welcomed an exceptional hiking couple who had recently arrived from the Netherlands. The lady had spent her youth in Namibia, South Africa, and other African countries. She then met her husband in England and eventually they both moved to France. Today the couple live as cosmopolitan globetrotters, and also as a nude travellers in Thuringia!
For dinner most of us selected Thuringian dumplings with roulade or duck. This tasty Thuringian specialty was available in the small village-restaurant “Zur Liske” in Zeigerheim. However, the simultaneous appearance of 25 hikers was a significant challenge for the restaurant management and the kitchen staff!
► Mon 17 July: Nude hike around the Schönbrunn Dam [17 July 2017]
Monday offered us settled weather up to 23°C, although with sunshine only occasionally. 24 hikers, male and female, met at the parking lot for a circular walk around the Schoenbrunn dam. The route offered some nice views of the lake, but the high vegetation at the edge of the dam made us feel like we were in the Thuringian Forest.
The dam is used for drinking water production, so swimming in the lake and in the tributaries is not allowed.
For dinner we went to the Triniusbaude, a restaurant at the Rennsteig Trail, which was well prepared for our large group of hungry hikers. The western germans among us learned the difference between eastern and western 'Zigeunerschnitzel' [en: Hungarian style escalope, i.e. escalope in spicy sauce with red and green peppers].
► Tue 18 July: Nude hike in the Black Valley near Bad Blankenburg [18 July 2017]
The good weather with summer temperatures (26°C maximum) attracted 31 naturists who wanted to join a challenging hike from Bad Blankenburg. The cumulative ascent and descent were shown to be over 500 m on some maps and over 800 m on others. After a short road stage, the hike route went to the Griesbachfelsen [en: Griesbach Rock] over the Ingoklippe [en: Ingo's Sheer].
The hike continued to the nature reserve station. At the tower we were most impressed by a wasp nest with a more than 2,000 wasps! Afterwards we had to cross the Schwarza Creek, which was not so easy for some hikers, who had difficulty balancing. But all of us, some with a little support, managed to get across.
Then we hiked in the nude over Eberstein [en: Eber Stone], Elisabethfelsen [en: Elisabeth's Rock], and Katzenstein [en: Cat Stone] back to our starting point. From there, we reached the restaurant Schweizerhaus [en: Swiss House] in the Schwarza Valley, where we enjoyed cool drinks and tasty food to finish a very busy day.
► Wed 19 July: Nude hike at Leibis Dam [19 July 2017]
34 nude hikers, male and female, between the ages of 12 and 75 set off in direct sunshine and 32°C temperatures to hike to the Leibis dam. The initial ascent from 349 m altitude at the foot of the dam to the first resting place at 600 m altitude at the forest edge near Meura was very strenuous due to the steep gradient. And the hardest part of the hike was in temperatures of up to 25°C.
In 'Meura' itself all hikers put on their trousers for a short time. As a reward for this inconvenience, they treated themselves to a few balls of ice cream or a really cold drink at the kiosk.
After leaving the village the hiking group took off the few clothes they had on, and were now much more comfortable in the clearly rising temperatures. After a cooling bath in a stream we approached the dam, which contained very little water, but the route to it gave us a nice view of the dam.
Our day ended with a visit to the restaurant Hirsch [en: Deer] in Unterweißbach, where the varied wishes of the wandering participants were fully met to the satisfaction and enjoyment of all.
► Thu 20 July: Hike or bike tour in the nude near Neuhaus [20 July 2017]
Sixteen cycling fans decided to travel their own way today and set off separately from the 8-person hiking group. Their start was Neuhaus at the Rennweg where some of the cyclists could hire a bike for the day. Others had bike carriers on their cars and had brought along their own bikes.
Biking in the Thuringian Forest
On the way to the upper basin
The trail led upward in a predominantly cloudy sky and 23°C air temperature over the Rennsteig and Panoramaweg towards the west and to the upper basin of the Goldisthal and the Vattenfall pumped-storage power station. From the observation point we could see not only the basin, but also the great panoramic view of the mountains in the northwest.
On the way back the bike group was caught in a heavy thunderstorm. Those who had raincoats tried (in vain) to protect themselves from the torrential downpour. Those who had no coats took off their remaining protective clothing, and allowed the rain to run down their legs into their shoes (if any). However, the temperature had now fallen to 18°C.
In parallel with the cycling tour the hiking group hiked numerous hiking trails which had high-quality moss covering and were comfortable to those hiking barefoot. At the Schwarza source the water has a constant temperature of 6.1°C and rises through a fracture (column source) between slate and sandstone. In our further route we explored a part of the Rennsteig and were surprised especially at its annual use as a marathon course.
Barefoot trail
Rennsteig: We were surprised especially because of its annual use as a marathon course
After a rain shower
In the restaurant Schmelztiegel [en: Melting Pot] in Neuhaus we were able to restore our energies and consumed calories in a very welcome and pleasant manner!
– Report: Rainer; photos: Horst. Translation: John.
More reports
► Fri 21 July: Hike along the Schwarza Valley and a mountain railway [21 July 2017]
About half of the 31 naturists travelled by historic motor coach from Schwarzmühle station to Sitzendorf station to the start of the 15 km hike. The historic motor coach had noisy squealing wheels, especially on the curves and cobbles of the old streets. The other half of the group came from Cursdorf to the start by train and cableway.
The naturist hike first went through the forest to the lower station of the mountain railway. The wagons of the railway hang on a common cable, so that the heavier wagon, when descending, pulls the lighter one up. Only in the opposite direction does additional energy have to be expended. Most of the hiking group chose the footpath, which in 900 metres distance gains over 200 metres of altitude. The rest of the group ascended by the convertible mountain railway and waved at the hikers as they passed.
The onward route of the mountain railway from Lichtenhain to Mellenbach offered several beautiful views in Schwarza Valley with sunshine and up to 28°C air temperature. Many of the hikers decided to return by train to Mellenbach. The remaining small group had to make their way to Schwarzmühle and to wait three minutes before the train arrived.
At the end of the day there was a barbecue evening at the Talmühle in Cursdorf, while half-board guests and other foodies gathered for an alternative meal in the hotel restaurant Waldfrieden in Schwarzmühle, which resulted in an unfinished philosophical discussion on the nature of infinity.
► Sat 22 July: Hike at Hohe Tanne near Neustadt am Rennsteig [22 July 2017]
Continuous rain which was predicted by several weather forecasts for the day was a worry. But instead the 30 naturists experienced just cloudy skies and temperatures between 20 and 25°C. There was only rain before the descent and during the stop at the Hotel Hohe Tanne. However, the wind was uncomfortable at the start of the hike.
The 13 km long hike led from Hohe Tanne towards the west over the Vordere Haube and from the Reichelstaler Teich to the Höllteich and back to the starting point. Of course, we used the ponds again for bathing!
► Sun 23 July: Hike to Kickelhahn Mountain (861 m) [23 July 2017]
Today, 20 naturists and one dog were able to experience the tenth and last of these Thuringian naturist excursions. First we went by train to Rennsteig station. An announcement on the train informed us that the last part of the railway track with over 60 per mille could be handled just by powerful motorized locomotives without additional aids such as toothed racks and gears or steel ropes.
Afterwards it was easy for us to handle moderate winds and temperatures between 18 and 20°C. We hiked approximately 16 km with 270 metres of ascent and descent. On the way, we admired a delightful forest with numerous colourful specimens of the local flora and fauna. A curious spider explored one of our hikers by walking on him! Thus, nature came very close to us – pure naturism.
3 km before the end of the hike we returned to the Kickelhahn Mountain (861 m) for some local gastronomy.
We climbed to the 30 m high stone tower on the Kickelhahn. We then had a clear 3 km long descent to our vehicles and on the way had a nude visit to Goethe's hut on the Kickelhahn, which Goethe even visited one day before his 82nd birthday. Following one of his many visits he wrote his famous poem “On all the tops of the trees” on September 6, 1780 shortly after his 31st birthday.
Until 1831, he visited this place again and again. Today, the poem has been translated into several European languages, including Russian, French, Dutch, and many non European languages including Arabic, and is engraved on a glass plate:
- “Goethe-Übersetzer rezitieren ‘Wandrers Nachtlied’ in 23 Sprachen: Gipfeltreffen auf dem Kickelhahn“ (berliner-zeitung.de)
- “Orte und Zeiten in Goethes Leben. Eine Dokumentation: Kickelhahn“ (goethezeitportal.de)
- “Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh'“ (goethezeitportal.de – photo of the poem by Goethe on a wooden wall in his hut on Kickelhahn Mountain)
- “Wanderer's Nightsong (en.wikipedia.org)
- “Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh'“ (medienwerkstatt-online.de)
- “"[…] Already, Goethe wrote “Der wahre Mensch ist der nackte Mensch” [en: “True human is the nude human”]“ (goethe.de)
The number of the languages, which are spoken in the numerous countries from which visitors have travelled, or where they were born or grew up – France, Germany, Ghana, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Africa, United Kingdom, USA, Zambia (in alphabetical order) – has been nearly as large as the number of languages, into which this poem has been tranlated.
– Report: Rainer; photos: Horst.