The region around Eisenach also has a great deal to offer. A number of towns with an eventful past can be found nearby, including the former ducal town of Gotha, the winter sports centre of Oberhof and the glassblowing town of Lauscha. Alternatively, you can explore the era of classicism on the Classics Route.Lauscha
Lauscha - the glassblowing capital and birthplace of glass Christmas tree decorations - is close by on the river Unstrut. The Museum of Glass Art offers an insight into the life and work of glassblowers, past and present. There are a number of demonstration workshops and shops where you can watch the glassblowers at work or purchase unique pieces. Other attractions worth visiting include the museum in the bell foundry, the town hall with its impressive steps and the well-preserved town walls.Gotha
With its baroque palace and important museums, the former ducal town of Gotha has a reputation that extends well beyond the borders of Thuringia. The west tower of Friedenstein Palace, Germany's largest early-baroque palace dating from the 17th century, houses the oldest baroque theatre in Europe. Its historical stage equipment from 1681 is still completely intact.Classics Route
The Classics Route winds its way through Thuringia from one classical town to the next. The era of literary classicism has left its mark more indelibly on Thuringia than on any other region in Germany. The region's castles, palaces, fortresses, churches and abbeys were designed and built by distinguished master architects. St. Elisabeth and Martin Luther, musicians such as Bach, Liszt and Walter von der Vogelweide, and Germany's national poets Goethe and Schiller all worked in the region.