Page 192 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Germany

190  EASTERN GERM AN Y THURINGIA  191

1 Eisenach – Wartburg VISITORS’ CHECKLIST Exploring Eisenach
The town, at the foot of the
The mighty fortress towering above the town is the legendary Practical Information castle hill, was founded in the
castle which was probably founded by Ludwig the Jumper, in Road map C/D4. * 44,000. n middle of the 12th century
the late 11th century. Reputedly, it was the setting for the Markt 24 (Stadtschloß) (03691-79 and played an important
23-0). _ Thüringer Bachwochen
singing contest immortalized by Wagner in his opera (Mar–Apr). Wartburg: Tel (03691) political role in medieval times.
There are interesting remains
Tannhäuser. Between 1211 and 1228 the castle was the home 25 00; ∑ eisenach.info, of fortifications, dating from
of Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, and from 4 May 1521 until wartburg.de Open guided tours the late 12th century, which
March 1522 Martin Luther found refuge here while he Apr–Oct: 8.30am–5pm daily (last include a Romanesque gate,
adm: 8pm); Nov–Mar: 9am–
trans lated the New Testament into German. Major 3:30pm daily (last adm: 5pm). the Nikolaitor. The Nikolai kirche
reconstruction in the 19th century gave the castle Vogtei & = m 0 nearby, also Romanesque in
style, once belonged to the
its old-time romantic character. In 1872 this building acquired an Transport
original oriel window (around £ @ Benedictine Sisters. In the
1475), brought here from the market square is a 16th-century
Harsdörffersches House in town hall, and in Lutherplatz
Nuremberg. stands the house where Martin
Luther once lived; it is now a
small museum of his work.
R Predigerkirche
Predigerplatz 4. Tel (03691) 78 46 78.
Open 11am–5pm Tue–Sun. &
This church, built in honour of
Elisabeth von Thüringen shortly
after she had been canonized, is
part of the Thü ringer Museum
Festsaal and has been used for changing
The impressive and ornate Festival Hall extends exhibitions since 1899. It also
over the entire length and width of the . Lutherstube houses a permanent exhibition,
Romanesque Palas. Today, it is the venue The room where Martin Luther “Medi eval Art in Thuringia”.
for a number of events. lived and worked for ten
months is very plainly E Automobile Welt Eisenach
furnished and has simple F. Naumanstraße 10. Tel (03691) 77 21
wood-panelling on the walls. 2. Open 11am–5pm Tue–Sun.
This car museum celebrates
the local car manufacturing
industry in Eisenach. Its
collection includes old BMWs
. Elisabethkemenate and Wartburgs.
The mosaics adorning the
walls of St Elizabeth’s E Bachhaus
rooms illustrate the story
of the saint’s life. They Frauenplan 21. Tel (03691) 7 93 40.
were designed by Open 10am–6pm daily. &
∑ bachaus.de
August Oetken and
placed in 1902–06. Johann Sebastian Bach was
born in Eisenach in 1685.
His birthplace is now
demolished, but this small
museum nearby is devoted
to his life and work.
KEY Landgrafenzimmer
In 1854 the landgraves’
1 Neue Kemenate, the “new chambers in the oldest
chambers”, were added during part of the castle, the
the mid-19th century. Today they Palas, were decorated
house an art collection with with paintings depicting
beautiful sculptures from Tilman the castle’s history, by
Riemenschneider’s workshop. Moritz von Schwind.
2 Bergfried is a vast, square
tower crowned with a cross,
beautifully restored in the Entrance gate
19th-century. The Bachhaus and museum, surrounded
by a garden
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp494–5 and pp516–17

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