Things to do in Weimar
-
Neues Museum
The Neues Museum houses works of contemporary art in Weimar. The complex was built in 1863, as a gallery exclusively for works relating to Homer's Odyssey, but another odyssey occurred after it was used as a Halle der Volksgemeinschaft (literally 'people's solidarity hall') by the Nazis, and was then renamed Karl-Marx-Platz under the GDR.
reviewed
-
A
Goethe Nationalmuseum
Less about the great man of letters himself than his epoch, the Goethe Nationalmuseum focuses on the late 17th- and early 18th-century, a period referred to as Weimar Classicism. Goethe, Schiller, his ducal patrons (Anna Amalia and Carl August), his muse (Charlotte von Stein) and various cultural spear-carriers feature in this loose collection of paintings, books, busts, letters and other objets d'art.
Part of the museum complex, the Faustina café has a controversial Christoph Hodgson mural depicting Weimar's glorious Who's Who; lurking among the famous faces - with a couple of amusing touches - is one Adolf Hitler.
reviewed
-
Haus Hohe Pappeln
Belgian art nouveau architect, designer and painter, Henry van de Velde is considered a pioneer of modernity. In 1902 he founded the arts and crafts seminar in Weimar that Walter Gropius later developed into the Bauhaus. For nine years, starting in 1908, van de Velde and his family lived in this house, which looks a bit like a ship on its side and features natural stone, stylised chimneys, loggias and oversized windows. One floor is open for touring and includes furniture that van de Velde designed for a local family. There’s also a cluster of splendidly restored art nouveau buildings (though not by van de Velde) on Cranachstrasse, Gutenbergstrasse and Humboldtstrasse,…
reviewed
-
B
Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek
The phoenixlike rebirth of Anna Amalia’s precious library following a disastrous fire in 2004 is nothing short of a miracle. The magnificent Rokokosaal (Rococo Hall) is crammed with 40,000 tomes once used for research purposes by Goethe, Schiller and other Weimar hot shots. Scholars may still borrow the books; for others, the fine busts and paintings of these men offer an interesting backdrop. Entry is by timed ticket and capped at 290 people per day, so book in advance or start queuing before the ticket office opens at 9.30am.
reviewed
-
C
Goethe Haus
No other individual is as closely associated with Weimar as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who lived in this town from 1775 until his death in 1832, the last 50 years in what is now the Goethe Haus. This is where he worked, studied, researched and penned Faust and other immortal works. If you're a Goethe fan, you'll get the chills when seeing his study and the bedroom where he died, both preserved in their original state. To get the most from your visit, get the audioguide.
reviewed
-
D
Schiller Haus
The dramatist Friedrich von Schiller lived in Weimar from 1799 until his early death in 1805. Study up on the man, his family and life in Thuringia in a new permanent exhibit before plunging on to the private quarters, including the study with his deathbed and the desk where he wrote Wilhelm Tell and other famous works.
reviewed
-
E
Bauhaus Museum
Considering that Weimar is the birthplace of the influential Bauhaus school, this is a rather modest affair. Plans are to move to newer, larger premises, so check the situation again from 2013.
reviewed
-
F
Schloss Tiefurt
Originally, this (relatively) small house from 1800 was leased to the tennant who ran the estate of the duchess Anna Amalia, but Anna took it over and turned it into her ‘temple of the muses’. The period rooms give you an impression of the age and her intellectual round-table gatherings where Goethe, Schiller and Herder were regulars. Bus 3 from Goetheplatz goes out here.
reviewed
-
G
Weimar Haus
The Weimar Haus is a history museum for people who hate history museums. Sets, sound and light effects, wax figures and even an animatronic Goethe accompany you on your 30-minute journey into Thuringia’s past, from prehistory to the Enlightenment. The production values can be comical, but the entertainment factor is inarguably high.
reviewed
-
H
ACC
Goethe had his first pad after arriving in Weimar in this building, now home to an alt-vibe, artsy hang-out, where the food and wine are organic whenever possible and the upstairs gallery delivers a primer on the local art scene. The owners also rent out a room and a holiday flat (www.goethezimmer.de), both handsomely furnished.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
I
Stadtkirche St Peter und Paul
Popularly known as the Herderkirche after Johann Gottfried Herder, who’s buried inside, this church has a famous altarpiece (1555), painted by the Cranach father-and-son team, and a triptych showing Martin Luther as a knight, professor and monk.
reviewed
-
J
Goethes Gartenhaus
The sprawling Park an der Ilm (Ilm Park), just east of the Altstadt, is as inspiring and romantic now as it was when Goethe lived here from 1776 until 1782 in what is now Goethes Gartenhaus. By giving him this simple cottage, Carl August successfully induced Goethe to stay in Weimar.
reviewed
-
K
Jo Hanns
The food is satisfying but it’s the 130 wines from the Saale-Unstrut Region – many served by the glass – that give Jo Hanns a leg up on the competition. No matter whether you order the classic steak, roast lamb or scallops and shrimp with mint-lime spaghetti, there’s a bottle to suit.
reviewed
-
L
Anno 1900
Send your taste buds on a wild ride in this elegant art nouveau pavilion. How about emu filet with carrot-rocket fettucine followed by tonka-bean crème brûlée? It’s adventurous, but most of the time it works. Breakfast on Sunday is all-you-can-eat from 9am to 1pm (€10.50).
reviewed
-
M
Estragon
There are days when a bowl of steamy soup feels as warm and embracing as a hug from a good friend. This little soup kitchen turns mostly organic ingredients into delicious flavour combos served in three sizes. It shares digs with a small organic supermarket.
reviewed
-
N
Da Cono
Not just the decor is from another age here, the food is too - it's unpretentious, Italian and full of ingredients. Even the simple penne Arabiatta gets complex when you think about it. Like the rest of Da Cono, the service has character.
reviewed
-
O
Residenz-Café
The ‘Resi’, one of Weimar’s enduring favourites, is a jack of all trades: everyone should find something to their taste here. The Lovers’ Breakfast is €19.50 for two, but the inspired meat and vegetarian dishes may well have you swooning, too.
reviewed
-
P
Gasthaus zum Weissen Schwan
At this venerable inn, you can fill your tummy with Goethe’s favourite dish, which actually hails from his home town of Frankfurt (boiled beef with herb sauce, red beet salad and potatoes). The rest of the menu, though, is mid-range Thuringian.
reviewed
-
Q
Liszt-Haus
Situated on the western edge of Park an der Ilm, this house was where the composer and pianist resided in Weimar in 1848 and again from 1869 to 1886. Here he wrote key works such as the Hungarian Rhapsodies and the Faust Symphony.
reviewed
-
R
Kasseturm
Hip Kasse is a venerable student club, with an assorted bag of parties, concerts, drum workshops and whatever else gets people off the couch. Three floors of action, for young and old.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
S
Schloss Belvedere
Set in the lovely Belvedere Park, this palace has displays of glass, porcelain, faience and weapons from the late 17th and 18th centuries. The easiest way to reach it is by bus 1 from Goetheplatz.
reviewed
-
T
E-Werk
The Deutsches Nationaltheatre and others perform in this former tram depot, which also has a cinema, live music, cultural events and an excellent exhibit of works by contemporary avant-garde artist Rebecca Horn.
reviewed
-
U
Römisches Haus
Perched on top of an artificial bluff in Park an der Ilm, Weimar’s first neoclassical house was built under Goethe’s supervision as the duke Carl August’s summer retreat. Today it contains restored period rooms and an exhibit on the park.
reviewed
-
V
Studentenclub Schützengasse
The grunge factor is high at this student club, which may be just what the doctor ordered as an antidote to highbrow burnout. Monday movie nights and salsa nights also provide diversions.
reviewed
-
W
Liszt-Museum
This is where the composer and pianist resided in Weimar in 1848 and again from 1869 to 1886, writing such key works as the Hungarian Rhapsodies and the Faust Symphony.
reviewed