Bachhaus

Thuringian Forest & the Saale Valley


Comprising two 15th-century houses knocked together in the early 17th century, this is Johann Sebastian Bach's actual birthplace, and an international site of pilgrimage for music lovers. Founded in 1907 and still one of Germany’s best biographical museums, the Bachhaus traces his professional and private life through exhibits with bilingual panelling, culminating in the modern annexe, where you can hover in bubble chairs listening to his sublime compositions. Admission includes a 20-minute concert on baroque keyboards, played on the hour.

Outside the Bachhaus is a monumental 19th-century statue of the man himself, sponsored by – among others – Schumann and Liszt.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Thuringian Forest & the Saale Valley attractions

1. Lutherhaus

0.17 MILES

The religious reformer Martin Luther lived here as a schoolboy from 1498 to 1501, in one of Thuringia's oldest and most handsome half-timbered houses. Now…

2. Georgenkirche

0.24 MILES

Dominating Eisenach's central square, this is the baptismal church of St Elizabeth and Johann Sebastian Bach. It's also where Martin Luther sang as a boy…

3. Reuter-Wagner Museum

0.27 MILES

This museum, housed in the 1866 villa once owned by writer Fritz Reuter, hosts the most extensive collection on the composer Richard Wagner’s life and…

4. Stadtschloss

0.28 MILES

Dominating the northern side of Markt is the baroque facade of this former ducal residence, now housing tourist and municipal offices and the Thuringian…

5. Predigerkirche

0.34 MILES

The crypt and several other rooms of this 13th-century Dominican church house the Thuringian Museum's exquisite collection of medieval sculpture,…

6. Automobile Welt Eisenach

0.66 MILES

Housed in the 1936 Automobilwerk Eisenach (AWE) factory, this museum celebrates a history of auto-manufacture dating to 1896, when the first 'Wartburg' …

7. Wartburg

0.81 MILES

When it comes to medieval castles and their importance in German history, Eisenach's Unesco-listed Wartburg dominates the landscape. This huge medieval…

8. Rathaus

16.61 MILES

Hauptmarkt is dominated by the picturesque Rathaus, with its colourful Renaissance facade and 35m-tall tower. It started out as a storage house in 1567,…