# Saalfeld

Saalfeld is a city in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt area in Thuringia, Germany.

## Understand

It is situated by the Saale River, 48 km (30 mi) south of German cultural capital Weimar and 130 km (81 mi) south-west of Leipzig. The population of the district is 118,000, that of the tri-city area is 58,000 and Saalfeld town proper is 26,800. It is best known internationally as the former capital of the branch of the house of Wettins (known amongst English-speakers as the Windsors) that is today's British royal family.

## Get in
### By train

* 50.650811.37471 Saalfeld station. Since the completion of the Leipzig–Erfurt–Nuremberg high-speed route that bypasses Saalfeld, intercity trains from Leipzig (1:45 h) or Stuttgart (4:15 h) via Nuremberg (2½ h) only call once a day, respectively. The nearest opportunities to change from high-speed to regional trains are in Erfurt (1:05, hourly regional train) or Bamberg (1:40 h). From Leipzig there is an hourly regional train service, taking just over two hours, also stopping in Naumburg (1:10) and Jena (40 min).

### By car

Saalfeld is located some 40 km off the A4 (Frankfurt–Erfurt–Dresden) and A9 (Berlin–Leipzig–Nuremberg) motorway, respectively. Driving from Erfurt or Weimar takes just over an hour, from Leipzig 1½ to two hours.

### By plane

The nearest airports are Erfurt (ERF; 65 km away), Leipzig/Halle (LEJ; 135 km) and Nuremberg (NUE; 200 km).

## Get around

The town is compact and walkable, but there are also regular buses and taxis running around

## See

As well as the medieval town centre, and the surrounding forests and lakes of Thuringia:
* 50.653511.35921 Schloss Saalfeld (Saalfeld palace). the palace of Queen Victoria's grandparents, the Saxe-Coburg. Now a regional government building

## Do

* 50.63511.34141 Feengrotten. the nationally famous fairy grottoes

## Buy

The area is a rewarding place to shop for unique craftsworks made from glass, ceramic and precious stones.

## Eat

There are several butchers in the town center who grill and sell the justly famous Thüringer Bratwurst (Thuringia sausage) in the afternoon.
* Hotel Anker. offers a good mix of classic and modern German dishes such as velk steak and locally caught trout.In the past hosted the German Kaiser (Emperor).

## Sleep

There is nearly a dozen hotels and pensions in the area. Except for the high peak season around July, you should be able to just turn up and find a place to stay.
* 50.6480211.3616041 Hotel Anker, Markt 25/26, ☏ +49 3671 5990. (updated Jan 2016)
* 50.64492411.3430542 co.med Hotel, Rainweg 68b, ☏ +49 3671 45570. (updated Jan 2016)
* 50.65697111.3663993 Hotel u. Gaststätte Müller, Lachenstraße 52, ☏ +49 3671 512632. (updated Jan 2016)

## Go next

* The forests, mountains and lakes of Thuringia are at hand, they are so close you can simply walk there!
* Rudolstadt (8 minutes by half-hourly train)
* Jena (40 min by half-hourly train, or cycle along the Saale bike trail) – university city with a historic old town, high-tech research and industries plus student lifestyle.
* Weimar (50 km north; 1:20 h by train via Jena-Göschwitz) – capital of classical German literature and theatre.
* Sonneberg (50 km south; 1:30 h by train and bus via Pressig-Rothenkirchen) – base for hiking or winter sports in the Thuringian Forest and traditional centre of toy makers.
* Erfurt (55 km northwest; 1:05 h by hourly train) – state capital of Thuringia, medieval old town core
* Mödlareuth (60 km southeast, no viable public transport link) – dubbed "Little Berlin", this village on the Bavaro-Thuringian state border was separated by the Iron Curtain during Cold War.
* Kronach (65 km south, one hour by train) – well-preserved old town and castle, hometown of Renaissance painter Lucas Cranach