Editing Thuringian Forest (section)

== Geography and communications ==
The Thuringian Forest forms a continuous chain of ancient rounded mountains with steep slopes to both sides and poses ample difficulties in transit routing save through a few navigable passes. It is about {{convert|70|km|mi|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|20|km|mi|abbr=on}} wide.<ref name = "bergmannsverein">{{cite web | url = http://www.bergmannsverein-erfurt.de/main.php?content=uebersicht_heute | title = Thüringer Bergbau heute | language = de | access-date = 23 January 2017 | publisher = Bergmannsverein Erfurt}}</ref> The highest elevation is ''[[Großer Beerberg]]'' at {{convert|982|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} above sea level.

The ''[[Rennsteig]]'' (sometimes called ''Rennweg'') is an ancient path following the main ridge and connecting the summits. It is now a famous hiking path and marks the traditional boundary between the [[hill]]s-dominated terrain of central Germany and the more rugged terrain characteristic of southern Germany, and also the boundary between the cultural regions of central and north [[Thuringia]] and [[Franconia]]. Dialects and traditional customs and costumes are different on either side of the Rennsteig. The Rennsteig is the subject of the song ''[[Rennsteiglied]] ([[:de:Rennsteiglied|de]])'', the unofficial [[hymn]] of Thuringia.

Motorway [[Bundesautobahn 4|A 4]] passes north of the Thuringian Forest, while [[Bundesautobahn 71|A 71]], intersecting the former south of [[Erfurt]], crosses the range from the northeast to the southwest, passes under the ridge in the [[Rennsteig Tunnel]] near Oberhof, and is joined near [[Suhl]] by [[Bundesautobahn 73|A 73]]. Two more long-distance roads, ''[[Bundesstraße]]n'' 19 and 84, pass over the western parts of the range, while ''Bundesstraße'' 88 skirts the northern foothills between Eisenach and Geraberg.

The [[Neudietendorf–Ritschenhausen railway]] crosses the Thuringian Forest in [[Brandleite Tunnel]] between Gehlberg and Oberhof, the [[Eisenach–Lichtenfels railway|Werra Railway]] between Eisenach and Eisfeld does so in a tunnel near [[Förtha]]. Both are in daily operation. A third line, the southern section of the Plaue–Themar railway, does not use a tunnel, but crosses the mountain ridge at Rennsteig [[Zig zag (railway)|switchback]] station. It has only been used by museum trains since 1998. The [[Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railway]], due to be commissioned in December 2017, crosses the Thuringian Forest with the help of several tunnels and bridges.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.vde8.de/Bauabschnitte------_site.site..ls_dir._nav.806_likecms.html | title = Die Bauabschnitte der VDE 8.1 Neubausstrecke (sic!) Ebensfeld – Erfurt | publisher = DB Netz AG, Verkehrsprojekt Deutsche Einheit Nr. 8 | year = 2017 | access-date = 3 February 2017}}</ref>

Thüringerwaldbahn, a [[Interurban|cross-country line]] of the [[Trams in Gotha|Gotha tramway]] network, serves the northern foothills of the Thuringian Forest between [[Gotha]] and [[Bad Tabarz]], including a branch to [[Waltershausen]].<ref>{{cite book | author = Bernd Blickensdorf |display-authors=etal | title = 75 Jahre Thüringerwaldbahn, 110 Jahre Straßenbahn Gotha | location = Gotha | year = 2004}}</ref>