South Thuringian regional television

The new concept for the Bad Salzung Christmas market seems to be working. Already on the first Advent, many curious people flock to the city. Although then we start thinking again about what could be done even better next year.

With culinary delights from France but also new ideas from the region, fragrant stalls at the Schmalkalder Christmas market entice hungry and curious people to stop and enjoy.

So that the ruler doesn't have to do everything all alone, he receives active support from the Christ Child. Sometimes in secret, but often out in the market, among the children.

In Schmalkalden the Christmas market is called Herrscheklasmarkt and of course there is a reason for that. In the Lutheran half-timbered town, people call the red-coated fellow known elsewhere as St. Nicholas, who has gifts, but sometimes also instructions, especially for the children, Herrscheklas. And of course there is a good chance that you will come across this one on the Altmarkt.

The glass Christmas tree decorations can be found in Lauscha 365 days a year, but on the first two weekends of Advent every year the glassblowers unpack everything that they have prepared for the Christmas season in the months before.

Whether it's Santa's workshop or a festival of lights, there are actions and events that bring life into the city centers, as the examples of Sonneberg and Ilmenau show. But how to perpetuate it? Who has a plan for this?

In Schmalkalden, the Thuringian THW youth are helping out in the city forest.

For the fishing festival, the Ilmenau angling and fishing enthusiasts collect a whole year's worth of harvest from the large pond. And lo and behold, in 2022 this will be particularly rich.

The Werratal model building club organized a particularly extensive show to mark the club's 10th anniversary, with over 250 exhibitors from all over Germany coming to the Werner-Seelenbinder Hall.

The self-driving minibus, which emerged from a research project at the Technical University, should already be suitable for practical use. Now all that remains is to overcome bureaucratic hurdles and Ilmenau could be the first city in which autonomous driving will be possible without an operator.