Over the centuries Wartburg Castle has attracted many illustrious visitors, among them Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Richard Wagner and the Bavarian King Ludwig the Second, who got some ideas for his famous Neuschwanstein castle from the Wartburg design. The castle is known around the world as the place reformer Martin Luther sought refuge and where he translated the New Testament into German. A museum dedicated to his life is situated in Eisenach.

But the town is not just famous for its ecclesiastical history. It was also the birthplace of composer Johann Sebastian Bach in 1685. In the late nineteenth century, the town became an automobile manufacturing center and produced the ultra-successful "dixie" model for BMW.