秋天的图林根森林与瓦特堡城堡，德国 Thuringian Forest in autumn with Wartburg Castle, Germany (© ezypix/Getty Images)

秋天的图林根森林与瓦特堡城堡，德国 Thuringian Forest in autumn with Wartburg Castle, Germany (© ezypix/Getty Images)

等等，这山上得有座城堡！ 'Wait, mountain—you shall bear my castle!'

俯瞰德国图林根森林的沃特堡城堡

当你浏览今天德国图林根森林树木变色的照片时，请注意远处的城堡。这就是瓦茨堡，一座建于中世纪的城堡，对有信仰的人来说意义重大。它是图林根天主教圣伊丽莎白的故乡，也是马丁·路德流亡期间将新约翻译成德语的地方。它是该地区最受欢迎的旅游景点，以其典型的中世纪建筑而闻名。

关于沃特堡的命名，有一些巧妙的文字游戏正在进行。”“Warte”是德语中“watchtower”和“wait”的意思传统认为，城堡的创建者惊呼“Warte，Berg du sollst mir eine Burg tragen！”或者“等等，大山，你将承受我的城堡！”看到位置后。注意那句引语中的“berg”和“burg”，它们分别翻译为山和堡垒。因此，在德国将单词拼凑在一起的伟大传统中，沃特堡这个名字应运而生。

如果你对这座城堡不感兴趣，那么素有“德国绿心”之称的图林根森林对游客来说也有其独特的魅力。德国最古老、最受欢迎的长途徒步旅行步道伦斯泰格（Rennsteig）在森林中绵延约110英里。如果你外出徒步旅行，你会注意到该地区总体上很安静，空气清新、无污染。你甚至可能会遇到一些小村庄，这些村庄遍布该地区，以欢迎外来者而闻名。

Wartburg Castle overlooking Thuringian Forest in Germany

As you glance over today's photo of the trees changing color in Thuringian Forest in Germany, make note of the castle in the distance. That's Wartburg, a castle built in the Middle Ages that holds significance to people of faith. It was the home of the Catholic Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, and also where Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German while in exile. It's the area's most popular tourist attraction and has been recognized for its quintessential medieval architecture.

There's some clever wordplay going on regarding how Wartburg was named. 'Warte' is German for both 'watchtower' and 'wait.' Tradition suggests the castle's founder exclaimed 'Warte, Berg—du sollst mir eine Burg tragen!' or 'Wait, mountain—you shall bear my castle!' upon seeing the location. Note the 'berg' and 'burg' in that quote, which translate to mountain and fortress, respectively. And so in the grand German tradition of mashing words together, the name Wartburg came to be.

If the castle isn't of interest to you, Thuringian Forest, known as the Green Heart of Germany, has plenty of its own charm for tourists. The oldest and most popular long-distance hiking trail in Germany, the Rennsteig, runs for about 110 miles within the forest. If you're out for a hike you'll notice the general quietness of the area and fresh, unpolluted air. You may even happen upon the tiny villages that pepper the area and have a reputation for welcoming outsiders.