{"id":194362,"date":"2025-04-20T08:39:13","date_gmt":"2025-04-20T08:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/adventure\/what-to-see-in-weimar-germany\/"},"modified":"2025-04-20T08:39:13","modified_gmt":"2025-04-20T08:39:13","slug":"what-to-see-in-weimar-germany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=194362","title":{"rendered":"What to See in Weimar, Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Disclaimer:<\/strong> This post contains affiliate links to handpicked partners, including tours, gear and booking sites. If you click through or buy something via one of them, I may receive a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you and allows this site to keep running.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Here\u2019s what to see in Weimar, Germany \u2013 a city of rich cultural heritage whose legacy was its downfall during and its saving grace after WWII.<\/p>\n

Weimar, Germany, is instantly captivating. A pop-up picture book of classicism and grandeur seeping from every one of its pastel-hued buildings, quaint open squares and magnificent surrounding green parks, this 1000-year-old city certainly holds true to its significance as an artistic and cultural hotspot of the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Referenced mostly in relation to its artistic residents, who have bestowed upon it an array of cultural glory, Weimar is known as the home of literary dramatists and poets Goethe and Schiller, composers such as Bach and Liszt, and the founders of the Bauhaus art and architecture movement of progressive design, Van de Velde and Gropius \u2013 names immortalised by statues, restored houses, and museums.<\/p>\n

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Goethe and Schiller Statue in Weimar centre.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Weimar Bauhaus Museum.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Weimar History \u2013 War and Politics<\/span><\/h2>\n

Such cultural acclaim was both Weimar\u2019s downfall, as well as its saving grace after its entanglement in war and politics.<\/p>\n

It was in Weimar that Germany\u2019s first democratic constitution was drafted after the First World War \u2013 the period between 1918 and 1933 referred to as the Weimar Republic. A favourite of Adolf Hitler because of its large cultural heritage and atmosphere, it later became an early centre of Nazism and a place idolized in Nazi propaganda and caught up in its devastation \u2013 the Buchenwald Concentration camp being minutes away from the city.<\/p>\n

Then came heavy damage to historical buildings during bombing raids in 1945, before becoming the capital of the Thuringia state by the East German government in 1948. Its cultural persona was lost; it became nothing more than a well-positioned East German city and the site of one of the Soviet army\u2019s main headquarters.<\/p>\n

Importance of Weimar Heritage<\/span><\/h2>\n

However, Weimar\u2019s long-established heritage sealed its future rebuild and saved it from the full destruction that could have wiped its heritage off the map for good.<\/p>\n

Not only was more money invested in the city\u2019s upkeep during the Soviet-occupied years (it remained in better condition than most of its East German neighbours), but after German Reunification in 1990, Weimar was lucky enough to receive significant funding to restore it to its former brilliance.<\/p>\n

Today, the preserved city has 16 UNESCO World Heritage sites relating primarily to its classical and more contemporary (Bauhaus) architecture. Luckily, only one Soviet apartment block remains. Weimar is, quite simply, a picture-perfect city. It\u2019s best seen on a walking tour of the old town highlights<\/a> with a local, who can point out the smaller details you might otherwise miss and put context to the timeline.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The baroque Gelbes Schloss (Yellow Castle) \u2013 part of the historic castle complex in Weimar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Weimar Stadtschloss (City Castle).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rotes Schloss, part of the Weimar city palace.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The historic Dower Palace in Weimar city.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rathaus Markt (Town Hall Market) in Weimar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Marktplatz, Weimar Market Square.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Visit the Goethe National Museum Weimar for a display of the life and work of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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University of Music Franz Liszt, Weimar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Weimar historic centre.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Geleitschenke \u2013 Weimar\u2019s traditional Thuringian restaurant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Nationaltheater Staatskapelle in Weimar, opened in 1906.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The former Gauforum in Weimar is the remaining example of National Socialist architecture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Goethes Gartenhaus in Weimar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Nature in Weimar in Park an der Ilm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The ruins of the former venue space, Tempelherrenhaus in Weimar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The vast greens pace of Park an der Ilm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Top Tips for Visiting Weimar<\/span><\/h2>\n

Getting there:<\/strong> Weimar is a 15-minute bus or train journey from Erfurt<\/a>, the capital of the green state of Thuringia, an easily accessible and budget day trip. A single ticket costs approximately \u20ac6. Check dates and prices with Omio<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Getting around:<\/strong> Weimar\u2019s old town is accessible on foot, though nine city bus links cover the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Where to stay:<\/b> If you plan to overnight, opt for a classic stay in a historic building, like the rooms in Altstadt Palais<\/a>, which mix contemporary trims with antique furniture.<\/p>\n

Places to Visit in Former East Germany<\/span><\/h2>\n

Weimar was the last stop on my \u2018Fall of the Wall\u2019 trip to former East German towns and cities, which examined modern Germany and how it\u2019s changed since reunification. Why not combine your trip to Weimar with one of these destinations and see how the towns and cities are today?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n