Weimar, the fourth largest city in Thuringia after Erfurt, Gera and Jena, is the heart of German cultural history and is always worth a visit. German world literature and art history meet here. Weimar was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998. Guests from all over the world are enchanted by the charm of bygone times. The city’s cultural heritage impressively reflects the Weimar Classic era around Schiller, Goethe, Wieland and Herder.

Weimar is also ideal for study trips. The numerous memorials and museums are an Eldorado for those interested in culture and art.

The Goethehaus – In the footsteps of the important poet

One of the highlights of the city is undoubtedly the Goethe House, which was built in 1709 in the Baroque style. This is where the famous poet spent most of his life.
You can still visit the living and working rooms as well as the private library in their unchanged condition.

The Schillerhaus – insights into the life and work of the poet prince

Schiller’s house is also a popular visitor magnet in Weimar. The poet lived here from 1802 until his death. Today the building functions as a museum in which one can experience the history of the house up close. Schiller’s study
as well as the living rooms and bedrooms as well as the kitchen and the servants’ rooms are part of the family’s authentic estate.

The Bauhaus – a rendezvous with the masters of form

The State Bauhaus, which was founded by Walter Gropius on April 1, 1919, is also always worth a visit. The most famous school in Germany for architecture and art design combines tradition and modernity in an impressive way. The most famous Bauhaus artists include Paul Klee, Oskar Schlemmer and Johannes Itten.

Belvedere Palace – residence of Duke Ernst August of Saxe-Weimar

The baroque palace complex, which was built between 1724 and 1732 by Johann August Richter and Gottfried Heinrich Krohne, houses a museum in which you can admire the handicrafts of the 18th century.

The Oybin monastery ruins are a real must for visitors to the Zittau Mountains. After all, the ruins of the monastery and the associated castle on Mount Oybin are among the largest and most famous sights in the region in southeast Saxony on the border with the Czech Republic.

Romance and history in Saxony

The castle and monastery at an altitude of 500 meters, which is also part of the famous “Via Sacra” route, was expanded into a large castle at the beginning of the 14th century. Emperor Karl IV was the builder. In addition to the monastery and the castle, an imposing monastery church with an observation tower and a cemetery are part of the extensive building complex. Construction was abandoned in 1577.

The castle became famous to this day as the inspiration for two paintings by Caspar David Friedrich: “The Dreamer” and “Oybin Ruins by Moonlight”. Since the beginning of the 1990s, the ruins have been continuously restored. Since 2004, the ruins of the monastery church can again be used as a concert and theater hall, among other things. The ruined monastery in Oybin is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April to October. Anyone visiting the historic facility should definitely take the time for one of the various guided tours. These are offered in different languages. In addition, there are regular small exhibitions in the various buildings, including the Bahrhaus and the residential tower. A special highlight here is the traditional knight’s meal in the mountain inn.

Greetsiel

Greetsiel is a fishing village with a small port in West-East Friesland, which was first mentioned in letters from 1388. Since 1972 Greetsiel has belonged to the municipality of Krummhörn, which has its administrative headquarters in Pewsum. The nearest train station is in Emden, about 15-20 kilometers away. The two places are connected by a bus. Although originally just a small but picturesque fishing village, Greetsiel has now become a major tourist attraction. Greetsiel only has about 1,500 inhabitants, but the number of people who live in the village increases significantly during the summer months and during the Christmas holidays. Once a year, the Greetsieler Woche takes place, an art exhibition known beyond the borders of East Frisia. A very special opportunity for travelers interested in handicrafts and painting.

Greetsiel has the best preserved historic fishing huts of all East Frisian sluice villages (a sluice is a sluice in a dike). There are still 28 shrimp cutters in its picturesque fishing port. Other notable buildings are the stone house, the former seat of the Cirksena family, and the Greetsieler church. One of the most famous photo motifs in Greetsiel is the row of houses on Sielstrasse that flanks the harbor. The houses No. 11 and No. 15 with their bell-shaped gables based on the Dutch model are particularly striking. While the first dates from 1741, No. 15 was built in 1792. The old bakery, No. 21, from the 19th century is also located on Sielstraße and is now used as a museum, café and art gallery.

Naumburg Cathedral

The 130 km² city of Naumburg [Saale], commonly known as Naumburg among tourists and visitors, is a state-approved resort for several reasons and is the sought-after destination for a combined holiday, city and study trip. The landmark of the city is the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, known in Germany as the Naumburg Cathedral. In addition, Naumburg is on the southern route of the “Romanesque Road” as a holiday route that runs through Saxony-Anhalt as a section of the Transromanica. This, in turn, is a European cultural route appointed by the Council of Europe. In one sentence: On the journey through Germany and through the Unstrut region as an almost 200 kilometer long tributary of the Elbe, there is a lot to see and experience here in Naumburg.

Naumburg Cathedral – current UNESCO World Heritage Site

Today’s Protestant Naumburg Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul is the former cathedral of the diocese of Naumburg. The structure was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2018. It stands on an area of ​​almost two hectares and is well known for its double choir, among other things. The remarkable furnishings include several altars, chairs, lecterns, tombs or sculptures, and of course the organ as well as the four cathedral bells from the years 1500, 1502, 1600 and 1765. The twelve donor figures in the west choir of Naumburg Cathedral are world-famous; they are life-size and carved in limestone.

Romanesque road with Romanesque buildings from the Middle Ages

At the beginning of the 1990s, i.e. immediately after political reunification, the idea of ​​the holiday route in the form of an eight was developed by the acceding federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. The focus is on the state capital Magdeburg. On the Romanesque Road, which is around 1,200 kilometers long, there are 80 Romanesque buildings in more than five dozen locations. Here in Naumburg it is the Naumburg Cathedral and the Aegidia Curia as an ensemble of buildings from the Romanesque period.