2011-03-19 51 11

Sat 19 Mar 2011 in 51,11: 51.2779449, 11.4288261 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

Location

Just on the water's edge of a lake (old gravel pit?). On the landside part of things, we hoped...

Plans

Get there, after visiting Bad Frankenhausen's Leaning Tower (it's leaning more than the famous Pisa Tower!) and the panorama painting.

Participants

• Rincewind and Yakamoz

Expedition:

Since this was a bit of a drive from Erfurt, it was only acceptable when achieving a bit more than the hash from a fuel-economics perspective. The sunny weather also was a real invitation to drive and walk around the country side.

The Bad Frankenhausen Leaning Tower is a regional tourist magnet of sorts. Funding is slim and it is acutely endangered- if funding isn't enough to stabilize it, it will have to be torn down. Hence, I wanted to see it while it was still there and leaning. And show Yakamoz, who is visiting. Apart from that, there is a panorama painting in Bad Frankenhausen, painted in honour of the 450th anniversary of the end battle of the Bauernkrieg (peasants war) at the site. This is a relevant piece of contemporary art of the former GDR and certainly worth seeing. Pity it is so far off the main routes, it is impressive- the whole building you can see below is painted from the inside (123m around and 14m high), very feature rich in a classic style. If you are in 51 11 and have 2hrs plus driving to spare, I'd certainly recommend seeing both. There's more sightseeing possibilities in Bad Frankenhausen, but we skipped those.

The drive to the hash was easy enough and there was a drivable dirt road just off the lake. Problems arose when we noticed a fence...

The fence went on and on, and where it ended, about at the correct vector to the lake, there was a small river passing below it, that was equally fortified. Along with the no permission-sign (I guess SAV is some Angelverein (fishing club)) that just made a consolation achievement for us. Headed home using paved roads much more uncomfortable than that dirt road by the lake. Guys, who ever had the idea of using freaking cobble stones on a state road?

Photos

• 

  The leaning tower of Bad Frankenhausen from a short distance

• 

  The leaning tower of Bad Frankenhausen- this is not 'shopped.

• 

  ]] outside the Panorama Museum

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  No entry here.

• 

  The hobby fishermen should know, at least. ;)

Achievements

Rincewind earned the No trespassing consolation prize by almost reaching the (51, 11) geohash on 2011-03-19.

External links

Since I really think this is worth a visit...

The Panorama Museum

German Wikipedia page concerning the battle

Bad Frankhausen's Oberkirchturm in desperate need of funding for its saving