Ilmenau

Ilmenau is a town located in the district of Ilm-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany.

Ilmenau is situated in the valley of the Ilm river, at an altitude of 431 metres (1,415 feet) above sea level, and is the biggest town in Ilm-Kreis district, with 6,200 students studying at the Technische Universität Ilmenau. The surrounding area is marked by the Thuringian Forest and its mountains. The highest mountain of Ilmenau is the Kickelhahn (German for rooster, which is also found in the coat of arms of Ilmenau), with a height of 861 metres. The highest mountains of the Thuringian forest are the Schneekopf (meaning snow-head) with a height of 978 metres and the Großer Beerberg (982.9 meters), a few kilometres to the south-west of Ilmenau. Goethe also enjoyed staying in Ilmenau, mostly on holiday.