Instead of going to a club, Anna and Harry could go for a walk outside! But this time, stay on safe terrain, and that includes, at least for the time being, the Green Belt. You'll discover nature in its purest form in the heart of Germany! It is a section of the country that, from after World War II until 1989, separated the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). Thuringia has the longest section of the approximately 1400-kilometer Green Belt.

The core of this border used to be made up of concrete walls, watchtowers, barbed wire, occasionally self-propelled guns, and a 500-meter-wide nature area. Most escape attempts from East Germany to the West resulted in capture or even death. Only on ancient maps can you still trace the names of many border villages that were leveled and their residents relocated. Yet, the animal and plant kingdoms could flourish undisturbed in the area of nature that was rigorously guarded. Many species on the endangered list can be found here, including the lady's slipper orchid and the whinchat, a small bird.

Meanwhile, work on the European equivalent of the Green Belt is underway: Over 12,500 kilometers, the green belt winds through more than 24 states along the former Iron Curtain, bearing witness to important history as well as valuable nature.