The German: Rennsteig (pronounced as /de/) is a ridge walk as well as a historical boundary path in the Thuringian Forest, Thuringian Highland and Franconian Forest in Central Germany. The long-distance trail runs for about 170km (110miles) from German: [[Eisenach]] and the German: [[Werra]] valley in the northwest to German: [[Blankenstein]] and the German: [[Selbitz (river)|Selbitz]] river in the southeast.
The German: Rennsteig is also the watershed between the river systems of the German: [[Weser]], Elbe and Rhine. The catchment areas of all three river systems meet at the German: [[Dreistromstein]] ("Three Rivers Rock") near German: [[Siegmundsburg]].
The German: Rennsteig runs along the ridge of the Thuringian Central Uplands (German: [[Mittelgebirge]]) from northwest to southeast mostly at heights of around 500 to 970 metres. It starts in the German: Eisenach town quarter of German: Hörschel by the River German: Werra (196 m above NHN) and ends in German: Blankenstein by the River German: Saale (414 m above NHN). In 2003 the German: Rennsteig was re-surveyed by the Thuringian State Office for Survey and Geoinformation; they reported that it had a total length of 169.29km (105.19miles). The marking along the trail is very good, usually indicated by a white 'R' (called German: Mareile). Along the German: Rennsteig there are small, open shelters about every 5 to 10 kilometres.
The course of the German: [[Spitter (river)|Spitter]] stream, the only river in the central section of the German: Rennsteig, crosses the trail in the German: [[Ebertswiese]] nature reserve, at a height of 700 metres, before feeding the nearby German: Spitter|nocat=y Waterfall. Another stream that crosses the trail is the German: Dober in the southeastern part of the route, which forms part of the Franconian Forest immediately by the Thuringian–Bavarian border west of German: Brennersgrün, part of the borough of German: [[Lehesten]].
Four tunnels run under the German: Rennsteig ridge: One is the eponymous German: Rennsteig|nocat=y Tunnel, which comprises two tubes that are 7916m (25,971feet) and 7878m (25,846feet) long, making it the longest road tunnel in Germany. The tunnel was opened in 2003 as a motorway tunnel for the A 71 autobahn. The second is the 3039m (9,970feet) long Brandleite Tunnel, which was opened in 1884 and leads the German: Erfurt–Schweinfurt|nocat=y railway under the Thuringian Forest. The vertical height difference between the two tunnels is less than seven metres.[1] The third is the 549m (1,801feet) long German: Förtha Tunnel on the German: Werra|nocat=y Railway. The 8314m (27,277feet) long German: Bleßberg Tunnel is part of the German: Nuremberg–Erfurt|nocat=y high-speed railway.
The German: Rennsteig runs through the town of German: [[Eisenach]], and the districts of German: [[Wartburgkreis]], German: [[Gotha (district)|Gotha]], German: [[Schmalkalden-Meiningen]], the town of German: [[Suhl]], the districts of German: [[Ilm-Kreis|Ilm]], German: [[Hildburghausen (district)|Hildburghausen]], German: [[Saalfeld-Rudolstadt]], German: [[Sonneberg (district)|Sonneberg]], German: [[Kronach (district)|Kronach]] and the German: Saale-Orla|nocat=y district.
From northwest to southeast: German: Hörschel, German: [[Wolfsburg-Unkeroda]], German: [[Ruhla]], German: [[Steinbach, Wartburgkreis|Steinbach]], German: [[Brotterode]], German: [[Oberhof, Germany|Oberhof]], German: Suhl-Goldlauter, German: [[Schmiedefeld am Rennsteig]], German: [[Stützerbach]], German: [[Allzunah]], German: [[Frauenwald]], German: [[Neustadt am Rennsteig]], German: [[Masserberg]], German: [[Friedrichshöhe]], German: Siegmundsburg, German: [[Scheibe-Alsbach]], German: [[Steinheid]], German: [[Neuhaus am Rennweg]], German: [[Ernstthal am Rennsteig]], German: [[Oberland am Rennsteig|Spechtsbrunn]], German: [[Tettau]], German: [[Steinbach am Forest]], German: Blankenstein.
The German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: Rynnestig was first mentioned in a 1330 border charter issued in German: [[Schmalkalden]]. Etymologists are inconclusive about the origin of its name. It may go back to German: Rain, hunter's jargon for "border". In Old High German, a German, Old High (ca.750-1050);: renniweg is a narrow footpath or bridleway in contrast to a German: Heerstraße or military road. In records dating back to 1546 the path is referred to as the German: Rensteig.
In addition to the well-known German: Rennsteig trail itself, there are about 250 other "German: Rennsteigs" and "" in German-speaking countries. Some of these are older and some more recent than that of the Thuringian Forest. This casts doubt upon its meaning as a genuine boundary path.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the German: Rennsteig marked the boundary of the Duchy of Franconia with the Landgraviate of Thuringia. Even today it forms a clear border between the Franconian part of South Thuringia from the otherwise Thuringian–Upper Saxon lands of Thuringia. The German: Rennsteig as a language border separates the East Franconian dialects (German: Hennebergisch, German: [[Itzgründisch dialect|Itzgründisch]] and Upper Franconian) from the Thuringian dialects (Central Thuringian, German: Ilm Thuringian and Southeastern Thuringian) spoken in the mountains, in the northern part and east of the Thuringian Forest.
The hiking trail was first described and mapped by the cartographer German: Julius von Plänckner (1791–1858) in his 1832 book German: Taschenbuch für Reisende durch den Thüringerwald. In July 1889 the author German: August Trinius (1851–1919) hiked along the German: Rennsteig ridge and published his book German: Der Rennstieg the next year, whereafter the trail became famous well beyond the borders of Thuringia and Franconia mainly through the publications of the German: Rennsteig Club founded in 1896. From 1897 to 1942, the club organised the annual German: Runst hiking tour in six stages along the German: Rennsteig. The German: Rennsteiglied is a wandering song written in 1951, that symbolises the spirit of the Thuringian people.
After World War II, the trail was not completely passable as it crossed the inner German border several times. After the Peaceful Revolution of 1989, it was officially reopened on 28 April 1990. In Thuringia, the trail was declared a heritage site in 1997
Along the German: Rennsteig there are about 1,300 historic boundary stones. Since the 16th century the German: Rennsteig, most of which was a border path, was marked with these political and national emblems. Of particular note are the 13 so-called German: [[Dreiherrenstein#Dreiherrensteine am Rennsteig|Dreiherrenstein]]e, of which only ten lie immediately on the German: Rennsteig. In local parlance these stones became known as German: Rennsteigstein or German: Rennsteig stones. The boundary stones surviving today stem mainly from the 18th century. In addition to boundary stones, there are also forest stones, stone crosses and monuments along the trail.
In German: Oberhof during the GDR period, there was a hotel (later demolished) of the same name in the shape of a boundary stone.
Today the German: Rennsteig is designated by the German Mountain and Hiking Club (German: Verband Deutscher Gebirgs- und Wandervereine) as an outstanding high-grade hiking trail. The German: Rennsteig|nocat=y Cycle Path was opened on 19 June 2000. Most of it is provided with a water-bound surface, some sections also run along quiet country lanes. Here and there it departs from the course of the historic German: Rennsteig, so that steep inclines may be avoided. It is therefore about 30 km longer than the hiking trail.
The German: Rennsteig is connected to the E3 European long distance path, which goes from the Atlantic coast of Spain to the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, and the E6 European long distance path, running from Arctic Finland to Turkey.
In the winter, in good snow conditions, German: [[langlauf]] skiing or hiking in snowshoes is possible and the German: Rennsteig is maintained as a winter hiking trail in places.
The German: Rennsteig|nocat=y Railway running to German: Rennsteig station near German: [[Schmiedefeld am Rennsteig|Schmiedefeld]] is a branch line, that has not been regularly used by passenger trains since 1998.
Since 1973 the GutsMuths German: Rennsteig|nocat=y Run, an organised ultramarathon, has taken place on the German: Rennsteig. With more than 14,000 participating runners and walkers it is one of the largest events of its type in Europe.