Motorhome tour to the toy paradise

The toy tradition in the region can be traced back to the 16th century. Turners and carvers were the first to make early toys from the wood of the Thuringian Forest. The German Toy Museum in Sonneberg shows how toys developed over time with more than 5,000 exhibits. From the Sonneberg train station, the Sonneberg play mile leads directly to the museum. An audio guide tour reveals interesting facts from almost forgotten times and makes you want to go on a journey through time to the toy museum and marvel at the famous world exhibition group "Thuringian Fair". Afterwards, a visit to the Martin Bären company with the German Teddy Museum is also worthwhile: Teddy bears have been lovingly handcrafted here for five generations. And you too can take a small, cuddly companion with you as a souvenir: Martin Bären and the Sonneberg tourist information center in the train station offer the creative offer “Teddy stuffing”. If you also want to get your money's worth from a culinary point of view, you should definitely make the trip to Sonneberg on a Friday: In the morning you can smell the well-known "Sumbarcher Bratwurscht", a city specialty that you can get at the "Bratwurscht Freidich" in all corners of the city . The locals are already queuing up at their favorite butcher early in the morning – just ask where the best place is: you will always get a different answer, but always a delicious bratwurst.

Typical regional cuisine can also be enjoyed in the neighboring town of Neustadt near Coburg: the Lindenhof dumpling shop serves the well-known “Coburg slides”. The raw potato dumpling has a particularly soft consistency, so that it almost melts on the plate. You can eat on site or in your own mobile home - on different days of the week there are also "dumplings to go". If you want to try the specialty yourself, you can also book a dumpling cooking course by arrangement. We continue in Neustadt with the next station on the German Toy Road: The "Museum for the German Toy Industry". The focus of the exhibition is on pre-industrial developments, job descriptions in the toy industry and a unique collection of traditional costumes. The fairytale tale of “Santa Claus’ workshop” is especially for children.

Do you have bicycles or e-bikes with you? Thanks to the intact bike paths along the Itz and the Röden, that's not a problem either. The "Tour to the Doll's Paradise" takes you on a 46-kilometer round tour from Neustadt bei Coburg via Rödental to Coburg. In Rödental you reach the home of the famous Hummel figures and a stop in the Hummel shopping world with adjacent exhibition is worthwhile before continuing your journey. Arrived in Coburg, you can stroll comfortably through the Coburg market square and enjoy the local cafés or a tasty "Coburg bratwurst" before you visit the doll museum. Where once the famous poet Friedrich Rückert met his wife Luise, the Coburg Puppet Museum today vividly tells the story of the development of the play puppet.

Another insider tip is the "Tour to Eisfeld Castle", which runs 73.9 kilometers from Sonneberg via Schalkau to Eisfeld. The Eisfeld Castle houses the city's museum. In the Marble Region of Eisfeld, many residents made a living from the production of small, round marbles, known as "Märbel". A marble mill that was used for this can be admired here today. A detour to the Sachsenbrunn district even promises a visit to a real mill: lovingly restored, one of the three mill wheels is turning again today and you can have a coffee in the museum room "1753".