For history fans

In the southern section of Mühlhausen’s historic city wall, a striking building in a Neo-Renaissance style rises up out of the old town, which is dominated largely by half-timbered buildings. This is the Museum of Cultural History – a wonderful starting point for immersing yourself in the more than 1000 years of history of the medieval imperial city of Mühlhausen. Being armed with prior knowledge of complex key elements of the city’s history will make your subsequent journey of discovery to the original locations even more interesting. Archaeological finds from the Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis that are well worth seeing and an impressive and varied selection of Thuringian art from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries round off the museum experience.

My earliest memories of the Luther House in Eisenach are of a donkey’s head. To this day, the education specialists at the museum still offer ‘Lessons like in Luther’s time’ and get kids to try on the notorious animal mask. The permanent exhibition, on the other hand, focuses on Luther translating the Bible at Wartburg Castle and shows how the impact of that historical undertaking reverberates to the present day.

Exciting city history, found treasure, and a medieval community: expeditions into jewish life in Erfurt

The skyline of the medieval Imperial City of Mühlhausen is defined by the innumerable towers of its historic buildings – too many for a visitor to count easily. Amidst all these attractions stands the secularised Corn Market Church. Its name makes you think of peace and summer, but the truth is that none of the other local churches have witnessed as much drama as this one – including in the German Peasants’ War of 1525.

The radical Reformer Thomas Müntzer, one of the best known protagonists of the German Peasant’s War of 1525, preached in Mühlhausen’s historic St. Mary’s Church, now a museum and a memorial to Müntzer, in the early modern era. The city’s aldermen were also regularly sworn in the building – with the silent agreement of Emperor Charles IV. Wave to him as you go past! Johann Sebastian Bach composed his famous cantata “Gott ist Mein König” (God is my King) for the inauguration of a new town council in Mühlhausen – the only one of his works that was published in print in his lifetime.

More than one thousand years of turbulent history pulse like an eternally beating heart within Mühlhausen’s historic city walls. Surround yourself with the unique atmosphere of the charming town in Thuringia with more than 2000 listed half-timbered buildings and town houses, dozens of old towers and churches and the original locations of the German Peasants’ War of 1525.

Martin Luther’s longest trip took him all the way to Rome, but he was generally more likely to be found travelling around the towns and cities of Thuringia, where he filled the churches with his sermons, met friends, debated with religious opponents and visited monasteries. Here are some of our tips for days out in the heart of Reformation country at five important locations associated with Martin Luther in Thuringia.

“Paths are silent guides,” says Andreas Pahl, quoting the great landscape gardener Prince Pückler and points to a romantic, moss-covered stone structure flanked by a curved bridge – a picture-perfect ruin. The spruce trees nearby were by no means coincidental either. Weimar’s green spaces are admirable!

“Hi, my name is Anna. I’m from Thuringia in Germany.” I’ve lost track of how often I have said those words. I’m a youthful 35, unattached, carefree and always keen to learn new things. After finishing my degree and spending quite a bit of time abroad I got a job in international marketing. Travel has always been my great passion. Exploring new cultures and different countries – and getting to know the locals properly – are what I like doing best. Now I have friends all over the world. Some people call me a globetrotter, but I’m always happy to return home to Thuringia.

Weimar boasts a wealth of UNESCO World Heritage, with a total of 19 individual sites. The Classical Weimar ensemble comprises 16 locations, while ‘Bauhaus and its sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau’ includes three sites in Weimar. Weimar is steeped in culture; it offers encounters with literary history and celebrated intellectuals around every corner. The leading thinkers of the classical era were Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Martin Wieland and Gottfried Herder, but women such as the Duchess Anna Amalia and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna also had influential roles. We have brought some aspects of classical Weimar to life – featuring the people and stories associated with the individual locations.

Late afternoon is the perfect time to visit Wartburg Castle and its plain, wood-panelled Luther Room. As the sun begins to set, it casts its rays through the medieval windows, bathing the ancient desk in a soft glow. Specks of dust dance in the golden light, which fills the entire room with a magical radiance.

Lying horizontally in saltwater with a temperature of 35°C, patrons of the Toskana Therme experience a kind of floating state. With half of their body and their ears underwater, they listen to selected music – an experience that is unique in itself. Even without the wondrous natural landscape around Bad Sulza.

It originated in Weimar. And it went on to conquer the world – and our living rooms …

Our plan had been to spend a day in the park of Tiefurt House – picnicking, chatting and enjoying the fresh country air. According to the weather forecast, we were due to have cloudless blue skies and a pleasant temperature. But that’s not quite how things turned out, and within half an hour of our arrival at the park the rain came bucketing down.

In the small village of Kaatschen, one timber-framed house follows another. The Saale river flows along one side, while on the other the hills are covered in vines. The entrance to the village is a glorious sight as you cross the Saale river on a stone bridge into the district of Grossheringen. This idyllic spot is home to the Zahn winegrowing estate, and behind its wooden gates lies the restaurant with its inviting terrace. Here, vines grow above the heads of the guests to create a natural green roof.

Many colourful expressions in the German language that remain in common usage – such as Lästermaul (scandalmonger), nicht jedes Wort auf die Goldwaage legen (to take something with a pinch of salt), die Zähne zusammenbeissen (to grit your teeth) or ein Dorn im Auge (a thorn in your side) – were actually invented by the same man who translated the New Testament at Wartburg Castle. Martin Luther exemplifies the power of words. Indeed, many of the phrases he coined can be found in the Duden dictionary of the German language to this day.

Wartburg Castle is located pretty much exactly in the geographical centre of Germany – as befits its historical significance. Allow at least half a day to visit one of Germany’s most famous castles – and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site since 1999 – as there are plenty of exciting things to discover here. A walking tour in five parts.

The enchanting moment lasts just under seven seconds. A bell rings - and the curtains move with a gentle rattle as if moved by magic. The cliffs rise up, and the forest approaches. Afterwards the opera begins without interruption. Welcome to the small Baroque world of the Ekhof Theatre in Gotha, a cradle of modernday theatre culture!

Throughout his life, the most famous scion of the Bach dynasty, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), proved that musicians are a restless sort … Bach was born in Eisenach, while Weimar, Ohrdruf, Arnstadt and Mühlhausen had the good fortune to provide a home to his talent, even if his paymasters of the time did not always appreciate it.