Lars Eidinger and Bjarne Mädel want to go to the Baltic Sea and not the mountains on their road trip.

As an unequal pair of brothers, the two actors set off with their old mopeds at “25 km / h” after their father's death.

The feature film from 2018 was shown on television at prime time these days.

At a gas station, the protagonists meet a family with twin girls, whose journey actually leads to the Taunus.

And Eidinger's good holiday wishes for the children staring at him sound less ironic than expected: "Have fun in the Taunus."

Bernhard Biener

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for the Hochtaunus district.

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Nadine Schnitzer, Deputy Managing Director of Taunus-Touristik-Service, cannot say how the low mountain range got into the cinema as a holiday destination. In any case, the film quote is not an expensive product placement. The Taunus' marketers, on the other hand, are actively seeking so-called influencers who report on their travels on their websites and often have a large reach. The printed brochures that go over the counter in the Taunus Information Center on the Oberurseler Hohemark are indispensable. But in order to tap into younger target groups, you have to be present on their digital playgrounds. That is why Marina and Alisa from "bevandert.com" stopped in Weilrod and Eppstein with their campervan in addition to the Hunsrück and Rothaar Mountains,while the “Outdoor Dad” trudges through the maize maze between Bad Camberg and Limburg on Instagram.

Replacement for corona failures

Schnitzer knows from experience and statistics who come to the Taunus above all want to move.

From mid-April to mid-June alone, 3,000 inquiries for the two newly published brochures on hiking and cycling in the Taunus were received.

The website www.taunus.info often helps.

"In times of the pandemic, however, there has been a slight shift," says the deputy tourism manager.

"Personal advice on the phone and in the tourist information office is more in demand." Most of the interested parties come from the Rhine-Main area and neighboring regions.

But some also accept a longer journey.

Few of them stay for more than a day trip or short trip.

The Corona restrictions for long-distance vacation have not made the Großer Feldberg the new Ibiza and have made hotel beds scarce.

"But we have received quite a few inquiries for a stay of several days," says Schnitzer.

Then it's about excursions and cultural sights in the region.

Anton Ochs also focused on this target group.

Because with Corona, the business travelers and trade fair guests stayed at the Kurhaus Ochs in the Feldberg community of Schmitten.

Road renovation discourages guests

"Nobody is booking seminar rooms again yet," says Ochs. So with the help of the hotel cooperation to which the house is affiliated, focus on private guests and "leisure" travelers. “We put together packages for four to seven days, with tickets for the Falkenhof on the Feldberg or the Saalburg.” E-bikes are also available for exploring the area. This has won guests from Holland, Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia. “It's going well,” says the hotel manager, whose traditional hotel is 125 years old this year. In return, apart from the pandemic, he has to contend with completely different adversities. Beyond the intersection, the road into Weiltal is being renovated and will be closed during the summer holidays. Then it continues right in front of the house for eight months. “As a result, the day guests broke away,” says Ochs.

The construction work schedule shows that the Taunus is not just a holiday region. In case of doubt, road closures take into account rush hour traffic and not vacationers. So it is little consolation that the kilometer-long diversions can bring new insights. “I recently discovered completely new village streets and wide views, which is why I made a special stop,” says Thomas Studanski, district chairman of the Hochtaunus Hotel and Restaurant Association. In the meantime there is a lot going on in the catering trade, even if the guests avoided the interior. The hoteliers are cautiously optimistic, but those who depend on business travelers have often still closed.