Visiting Weimar is getting to the heart of German culture. Since Johann Wolfgang von Goethe moved here in the late 18th century, this East German city has become a pilgrimage site for German luminaries.
Why is Weimar important
In the 20th century, Weimar was the birthplace of the Bauhaus movement, which created a revolution in art, design, and architecture. The first Bauhaus school of arts and architecture was founded here by Walter Gropius in 1919.
The list of former Weimar residents reads like the “Who’s Who” of German literature, music, art and philosophy: Johann Sebastian Bach, Richard Wagner, Friedrich Schiller, Wassily Kandinsky and Friedrich Nietzsche lived and worked here.
You can literally follow in their footsteps. Almost all of Weimar’s sights and attractions are within walking distance of each other and the landmarks touched by these great Germans are well marked.
Things to do in Weimar
Weimar Old Town – A great place to start is in Weimar’s Altstadt. You will see more than 10 historical buildings from the Weimar classical period (1775-1832), which are UNESCO world heritage sites. Along its path are magnificent town houses, the royal stables, the neo-Gothic town hall, the duke’s baroque palaces, and many more historically important architectural gems.
Theaterplatz – Meet Weimar’s two most famous residents, the German writers Goethe and Schiller. His 1857 statue on Theaterplatz has become the emblem of Weimar.
Address : Theaterplatz, 99423 Weimar
Goethe National Museum: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany’s most famous writer, lived for 50 years in Weimar, and you can enter his literary and personal world by visiting his Baroque house, complete with original furniture.
Address: Frauenplan 1, 99423 Weimar.
Schiller House: Goethe’s good friend, Friedrich von Schiller, another key figure in German literature, spent the last years of his life in this house in the city of Weimar. He wrote some of his masterpieces, like “Wilhelm Tell,” here.
Address: Schillerstraße 9, 99423 Weimar.
Weimar Bauhaus: Weimar is the birthplace of the Bauhaus movement, which created a revolution in architecture, art, and design between 1919 and 1933. Visit the Bauhaus Museum, the original Bauhaus University, as well as several buildings in the distinctive Bauhaus style .
Address: Bauhaus Museum, Theaterplatz 1, 99423 Weimar
Weimar Town Castle – The splendid Town Castle building houses the Palace Museum, which highlights European art from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century. Grand staircases, classical galleries, and festive halls make this one of the most beautiful museums in Germany.
Address: Burgplatz 4, 99423 Weimar
Duchess Anna Amalia Library: Duchess Anna Amalia was crucial in the development of Goethe’s Weimar intellectual spirit. In 1761, he founded a library, which today is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It contains the treasures of German and European literature and includes medieval manuscripts, a 16th century Martin Luther bible and the world’s largest Faust collection.
Address: Platz der Demokratie 1, 99423 Weimar.
Buchenwald Memorial – Just 6 miles from the romantic Old Town of Weimar is the Buchenwald Concentration Camp. During the Third Reich, 250,000 people were imprisoned here and 50,000 were killed. You can visit various exhibitions, memorial sites, as well as the camps themselves.
Address: Buchenwald 2, 99427 Weimar.
Weimar travel tips
How to get there: Deutsche Bahn offers direct connections from Berlin, Leipzig and Erfurt. Weimar Hauptbahnhof is approximately one kilometer from the city center. It is also connected to Autobahn A4. Find out more ways to get to Weimar by train, car or plane.
Guided tours: You can take part in various guided tours through Weimar.
Weimar day trips
- Visit Wartburg Castle, just 50 minutes west of Weimar
- Take an excursion to Berlin, 3 hours northeast of Weimar
- Visit Frankfurt, 2.5 hours southwest of Weimar, or Dresden, 2 hours east of Weimar
Weimar is also on our list Germany’s Top 10 Cities – Best Places for City Break in Germany .
