We can think of lots of reasons to visit the beautiful, fascinating and historic German city of Weimar. In no particular order, here are ten reasons to visit Weimar.
1) Cradle of Classicism
Goethe and Schiller, Herder and Wieland, Nietzsche, Fürnberg, Liszt, Bach, Cornelius, Gropius, Feininger, Klee and Itten all have artistic roots in Weimar.
2) Bauhaus
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Bauhaus, a new museum opened in Weimar in April, Bauhaus fans are spoilt for choice – there are guided Bauhaus tours, the Bauhaus University and various cultural events happening throughout the city .
3) The Duchess Anna Amalia Library
This exquisite library, with its famous Rococo hall, was restored to its former glory after a fire in 2004. It contains collections from the 9th to the 21st century and is open to the public.
4) Onion Festival
Held every October (this year from 11 -13 October), this fun, foodie festival was first established in 1653. It includes beer and food stalls, sports events and the crowning of the ‘Onion Queen’.
5) Christmas Market
Weimar’s atmospheric Christmas Market held against the fairy-lit backdrop of the market square (and other areas), also includes ice skating and events for children.
6) Food!
Whether it’s German comfort food, including the famous ‘Thϋringer Bratwurst’ or the fresh local foods of summer, the food in Weimar is delicious. Weimar offers an enormous choice of restaurants and cafes. Meat and wild game dishes are plentiful, but this is also a big vegetable growing region, so vegetarians will find plenty of options, too.
7) Architecture, monuments and beautiful buildings
From Bauhaus to the Belvedere Palace, Weimar is richly blessed with historical buildings including 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
8) History
The political history of Weimar is fascinating. The first republic on German soil was established here in 1919 and although it lasted only 14 years, the Weimar Republic established Germany as a centre of intellectual thought through its universities, as well as a creative centre for music, arts and cinema.
9) Easy to reach
With the introduction of a new ICE high-speed rail link in December 2017, Weimar is easy to reach by train from cities like Munich or Nuremberg (2 ½ and 1 ½ hours respectively) or three hours from Berlin.
10) Beautiful, green, open spaces
The river Ilm runs through Weimar and on the edge of Weimar’s old town, is the city’s 48-hectare landscaped park (laid between 1778 and 1828) running for a kilometre along the river’s banks. The park includes Goethe’s garden house, the Roman House and the Bark House.
More information
Incidentally the film heritage of the Weimar Republic is currently being celebrated at the British Film Institute Southbank (running until end June 2019) https://www.bfi.org.uk . For information on Weimar and Germany : www.germany.travel .