Goethe-Haus & Museum

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Lonely Planet review

Anyone with an interest in German literature should visit the Goethe Haus, the birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in 1749. Although furnishings are often reproductions, some original pieces remain on show. Highlights are Goethe's original writing desk and the library. Guided tours are conducted in German at and ; English tours can be arranged, but staff can also help you along.

'He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home.' Goethe's parents' house is a wonderful example of how Frankfurt's well-to-do lived in the 18th century. It was Goethe's birthplace, and he lived here until moving to Weimar in 1775, an act that many Frankfurters found hard to forgive. It was here that Goethe penned his ode to suicide, The Sorrows of Young Werther , and began work on Faust . The rooms are nicely decorated with a mix of reproduction and original furniture, offering a glimpse of 18th-century domestic life.

The museum next door illustrates the various stations of his long life with paintings from the late Baroque to the Biedermeier periods. The gorgeous little garden is perfect for getting away from all that Sturm und Drang .