Saint Elisabeth, widow of
Ludwig IV, Landgrave of Thuringia, was held hostage within its walls from 1228 to 1229. Many buildings bear her name today. According to legend, while she was being threatened, the eggs and lard in her basket were transformed into beautiful roses — a local adaptation of the famous
Miracle of the Roses. Since 2004 there has been a marked walking route through the town, known as the "Elisabeth Route". The market square, with its statue of Saint Elisabeth, the Catholic Church, shops, restaurants, and hotels form the central area of the city. Guest accommodations are mostly in the residential areas, in the valleys leading out of the centre of town, and in and above the cliffs overlooking the town. Easily reached from all the residential areas is the health centre with its massage department/medical swim therapy department, station for respiratory illnesses in Devil's Cave, the Kneipp facility, the tourist information centre, the park, putting green, tennis courts, Schöngrund Lake with its rowing boats and pedalos, the summer bobsleigh route, the "Felsenbad" (between the rocks), and golf course. There are 450 kilometres of marked paths for walking. ==Sons and daughters of the town==