Rennsteig

From here it goes in the direction of the Rennsteig. Either take the path to the left up into the forest in the direction of Rennsteig or right onto the old railway embankment in the direction of Allzunah and Rennsteig train station, where you also meet the Rennsteig as a high-altitude hiking trail.

The Rennsteig is an approximately 170 km long ridge trail and a historic border trail in the Thuringian Forest, Thuringian Slate Mountains and Franconian Forest.
It is also the oldest and, with around 100,000 hikers annually, the most popular long-distance hiking trail in Germany.
It begins in the Eisenach district of Hörschel on the banks of the Werra and ends in Blankenstein (Rosenthal am Rennsteig) at the Selbitzbrücke.
Its signpost is a white R.(Source: Wikipedia)

The Rennsteig.
Usually the hiking trails are always fine.
Unfortunately, these have now been crushed with heavy equipment! And that in the middle of a nature reserve!!!
Here the bark beetle had struck; but did it absolutely have to be destroyed with vehicles and balloon wheels?
It will still be very tough for the landscape, no matter what the weather.
Let's hope nature recovers.