Page 203 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Germany

THURINGIA  201

In Garnsdorf, on the outskirts of
Saalfeld, are the Feen grotten,
grottoes created by both
natural and human activity.
From the mid-16th century until
1846 alum slate was mined in
this cave, called “Jeremiasglück”
(Jeremiah’s good fortune). It was
finally closed due to humidity,
but the dripping water has
created some astonishingly
colourful stalagmites and
stalactites.
Y Feengrotten Grottoneum
Feengrottenweg 2. Tel (03671) 550 40. Picturesque Altenburg Castle complex
Open May–Oct: 9:30am–5pm daily;
Nov–Apr: 10:30am–3:30pm daily. the ruins of Schloß Osterstein r Altenburg
∑ feengrotten.de of which only the Baroque
orangerie remains. It now Road map E4. * 45,000. £ @
n An der Baderei 1 (03447-89 66 89).
Environs houses the Kunst samm lung, _ Prinzen raubfest (Jul); Altstadtfest
From Saalfeld it is worth taking a with paintings by Lucas Cranach (Aug). ∑ altenburg-tourismus.de
trip to the Hohenwarte-Talsperre, the Elder, Max Liebermann
an artificial lake and paradise for and others. In Germany, Altenburg is known
watersports enthusiasts. Burg Otto Dix, a leading artist of as “Skatstadt”, the town of skat, a
Ranis, a scenic hill-top castle, was the Neue Sachlichkeit, was traditional and very popular card
probably built in the 11th century born in Gera, and his birthplace game. Altenburg also has some
for an emperor. Later it became has been turned into the fascinating historic remains. The
the seat of the Thuringian land- Otto-Dix-Haus. Schloß (ducal castle), which
graves, Meissen margraves and towers over the old town, has a
the counts of Schwarzburg. + Kunstsammlung 10th-century tower, recon struc-
Now it houses a museum of Küchengartenallee 4. Tel (0365) 838 ted mainly in the Baroque style.
the region’s natural history. 42 50. Open 11am–6pm Tue–Sun. Today the castle houses the
E Otto-Dix-Haus Spiel kartenmuseum (museum
e Gera Mohrenplatz 4. Tel (0365) 832 49 27. of playing cards). The late-Gothic
castle church is also worth seeing.
Open 11am–6pm Tue–Sun.
It has rich Baroque furnishings
Road map D4. * 121,000. £ @
n Heinrich Straße 35 (0365-830 44 and an organ that was played by
80). _ International Open Air Theatre the composer Bach. Next to the
Festival (Jun), Geraer Höhlerfest (Sep). castle gardens is the Lin denau-
∑ gera.de Museum, with Augustus von
Lindenau’s collection of
The second largest town 16th–20th century paintings
in Thuringia, Gera is not and sculptures, including works
impressive at first sight, by Simone Martini, Fra Angelico,
but it has many attractions, Auguste Rodin, Ernst Barlach
including a picturesque and Max Liebermann. The old
Rathaus (town hall) whose town, at the foot of the hill, has a
oldest, Renaissance part beautiful Renaissance town hall
dates from 1573–6. The with an enormous octagonal
Geraer Elleblon, on the right- tower. In Brühl Platz is a fountain
hand side of the entrance, is and the figures of skat players,
a unit of measurement equal as well as the Baroque
to 57 cm (22 in). A short Seckendorffsche Palais and
distance from the market the Renaissance chancellery.
square, in Nikolai berg, you
will find the Salvatorkirche. E Schloß und
This Baroque church got its Spielkartenmuseum
Secession-style interior in Schloß 2–4. Tel (03447) 51 27 12.
1903, after a fire. The theatre Open 10am–5pm Tue–Sun.
(1900–02) was designed in E Lindenau-Museum
the same style, by Heinrich Gabelentzstraße 5. Tel (03447) 895 53.
Seeling. The Küchengarten The multi-coloured Renaissance doorway Open noon–6pm Tue–Fri, 10am–6pm
(kitchen garden) surrounds of the Rathaus in Gera Sat, Sun.

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