Dragon Gorge near Eisenach

Dragon Gorge is three kilometres long and just 68 cm wide at its narrowest point. It is particularly popular with hikers during the hot summer months as due to the rock formations that are very steeply sloping in places, temperatures are always lower here than they are in the surrounding area.

During the Middle Ages, the Upper Marien Valley was a refuge for hunters, charcoal burners and mineral seekers. In the 18th century, the ducal court permitted paths and hunting tracks to be laid around Dragon Gorge. Area names such as ‘Schwalbennest‘, ‘Hochwaldgrotte’, ‘Luisengrotte’ and ‘Prinzessinnenstieg’ go back to the exploitation of the region by the nobility.  In 1830, the excursion destination ‘Phantasie’ was opened at the northern end of Dragon Gorge in the Marien Valley, thus opening the region for common hikers and walkers. Back in those days, the excursion destination was quite far away from the town.

When the Marien Valley later became a villa quarter and relaxation area for Eisenach inhabitants, the infrastructure continued to be developed. There was even a tramline that ran to the entrance of Dragon Gorge.

In order to make the ravine permanently safe to walk along, paths and steps were carved into the rocks and clad with wood. Jetties were also erected in places over Quellbach stream. However, as winter ice and flooding kept on destroying the structures, they had to be replaced frequently. Even today, annual checks have to be carried out to ensure that the structures are not damaged and whether improvements have to be made. In 2009, old grids were replaced with more stable, plastic elements that are less susceptible to the weather.

Since 1961, the area around the Hohe Sonne site and Warburg Castle has been a designated conservation area. Soon after, Dragon Gorge was declared a natural monument.

The name of this unique landscape can be traced back to a giant wyvern that is said to have lived in the ravine.

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