Overview: The first part of the series shows the Thuringian Forest. It is one of the largest forest areas in Germany. Mountain landscapes, meadows, valleys and bodies of water offer a varied natural experience. Thuringia is considered Germany's green heart. Over a third of its land area is covered by forest. In the west of the Free State lies the Thuringian Forest, a low mountain range almost 1,000 meters high, stretching from the Werra in the north-west to the Franconian Forest in the south-east. Not only squirrels and raccoons feel comfortable in the dense, partly original forests. The rare black storks have also settled here again. Red kites build their nests in the canopy, and even the shy wild cat finds enough cover here. European hamsters are still very numerous in the Thuringian Basin, one of the oldest cultural landscapes in Germany. It is one of the last refuges of the endangered rodents in Europe. Thuringia is famous for its castles. The best known is the Wartburg near Eisenach.