Weimar is located along the River Ilm in the federal state of Thuringia. Germany’s first democratic constitution was signed in the city following the First World War. Weimar was an important location during the German Enlightenment. It was the home of the literary genre, Weimar Classicism, which stemmed from local writers Goethe and Schiller. Learn about the poet Goethe at his home, Goethe House, and next door at the Goethe National Museum. There, you will see exhibition rooms, storage rooms and study rooms as well as collections relating to the writer.
Weimar hosts a full calendar of events each year, from concerts and comedy to classical music. If you are visiting in October, make sure to attend the three-day Onion Market, which is Thuringia’s largest festival. You will see about 500 stalls and 100 stage performances across the city during the event.
An important monument in the city is the Buchenwald Memorial, which was established for those who were imprisoned at the Nazi concentration camp, Buchenwald, between 1937 and 1945. More than 250,000 people were imprisoned there and over 50,000 of them died. The memorial is a 15-minute drive from the city a bus service runs hourly from downtown to the site.
You will see a former grand-ducal art collection dating from the Middle Ages to around 1900 at the City Palace, which sits on the banks of the river. From there, you can stroll through the Park on the River Ilm, where you will find classical and post-classical landscaping. The Roman House is in the park and looks as though it was built on the ruins of an ancient structure because of its temple-like construction.
Continue your cultural visit to Weimar with an evening at the Deutsches Nationaltheater (German National Theatre), which is home to Thuringia’s main theatrical company and the Staatskapelle Weimar Orchestra.
Buses are available around the city and it is easy to explore downtown on foot. There are also a number of places where you can rent bicycles. Weimar is part of the Goethe cycle tour route and the Ilm Valley cycle tour. Trains stop every hour at the Weimar station on the express train line from Frankfurt to Dresden and Berlin.
