Page 112 - (DK Eyewitness) Back Roads Travel Guide - Germany

110 BACK ROADS GERMANY

w Weimar
Thuringia; 99423
For outsiders, Weimar is synonymous with the Weimar Republic
government of Germany in the 1920s. At home, however, the
erst while court-town is lauded as a cradle of German culture, a former
home to poets, artists, composers and philosophers, a well spring of
the German Enlightenment and the birthplace of Bauhaus design.

A 90-minute walking tour established by the duke’s wife, Duchess
Walk to Ackerwand from the car Anna Amalia. Walk west across the
park and turn right into the pedestri- square to reach the Markt 4, which
an ized Frauenplan to reach Goethes has a Renaissance foun tain; houses,
Wohnhaus 1 (closed Mon) on the includ ing that of the great German
cor ner of Seifengasse. Goethe occu- painter Lucas Cranach the Elder;
pied this Baroque house for 50 years and the Neo-Gothic town hall.
as an adviser to the Saxe-Weimar Walk across the Markt and turn left
court. Displays in its rooms include into Frauentorstrasse and then right
sculpture and art acquired during into Schillerstrasse, named after
his Italian travels and a piano on the dramatist Friedrich von Schiller.
which com poser Felix Mendelssohn At No. 12 is Schillerhaus 5 (closed
show cased work-in-progress after Mon), a rela ti vely modest residence
dinner. An adjacent museum (closed compared to that of Schiller’s friend,
Mon) details court life in contem- Goethe. Schillerstrasse arcs into
porary Weimar. Walk down to the Theaterplatz 6, which has a famous
Top Modest façade of the Schillerhaus in end of Seifengasse to see the Platz statue of Goethe and Schiller by sculp-
Weimar Above Town hall and cafés on the der Demokratie 2. Surrounded by tor Ernst Rietschel and the theatre in
Markt in Weimar ducal Baroque palaces, this square which the German National Assembly
helps visitors gauge the former glory ratified the liberal Weimar Republic in
of Weimar. The centrepiece of the 1919. Opposite is the Wittumspalais 7
VISITING WEIMAR
square is an equestrian statue of (closed Tue), where at a round table,
Goethe’s aesthete employer, Duke the duchess hosted soirées attended
Parking
Parking is available at the Goethehaus Carl August. To the right of the square by Weimar’s intellec tual lumi naries. Its
car park on Ackerwand. is the Grünes Schloss 3 (closed Mon; Neo-Classical interiors are the town’s
Tourist Information limited number of tickets), home to one finest. Next door is the museum of
Markt 10, 99423; 03643 74 50; of Europe’s finest Rococo lib raries, Bauhaus design. Zeughof threads
www.weimar.de
WHERE TO STAY IN WEIMAR St Peter und Paul VORWERKSG
Kirche
Amalienhof moderate GOETHEPLATZ GELEI TSTRA SSE GELEITSTR HERDER- KAUFSTR JAKOBSTR Stadtschloss HANS-WAH L-STR
This is a good-value, medium-sized Museum of RITTERGASSE PLATZ SCHLO SSGASSE BURGPLATZ ROTHÄUSERBERGWEG
Bauhaus
hotel near Goethe’s house, most of WIELANDSTR Design
whose spacious rooms feature ZEUGHOF GRÜNER LEIBNIZALLEE
MARKT
Neo-Classical style furnishings. Wittumspalais Ilm
Amalienstrasse 2, 99423; 03643 54 90; Theaterplatz W I N D I SCHENSTR
Schillerhaus
www.amalienhof-weimar.de HUMMELSTRASSE FRAUENTORSTR Markt KOLLEGIENG A S S E Grünes
Schloss
MARKT
Elephant moderate SCHILLERSTR
A rendezvous for artists, poets, PUSCHKINSTRASSE Platz der
Demokratie
intellectuals and statesmen since the SCHÜTZENGASSE BRAUHAUSG FRAUEN AM HORN
PLAN
16th century, Elephant is a superbly H E G E L S T R A S S E S E I F E N G A S S E
Goethes
sited and elegant Art Deco hotel. STEUBENSTRASSE Wohnhaus A C K E R WA N D Park an der Ilm
Markt 19, 99423; 03643 80 20;
www.luxurycollection.com/elephant Goethes
Gartenhaus
Russischer Hof moderate SCHUBERTSTR BEETHOVENPL
Sumptuously decorated, Russischer HUMBOLDTS T R A SSE A M A L I E N S T R A S S E
Hof was once the haunt of the MARIENSTRASSE Park an der Ilm
com posers Franz Liszt and Robert
Schumann. The hotel’s suites are Liszthaus 0 metres 200
similarly grand and its standard
accommodation is very comfortable. AM POSECKSCHEN GARTEN 0 yards 200
Goetheplatz 2, 99423; 03643 77 40;
www.russischerhof-weimar.de
Where to Stay: inexpensive, under €70; moderate, €70–€150; expensive, over €150
110-111_175705_BR_GER.indd 110 18/07/16 12:15 pm
Back Roads LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue Spread template “UK” LAYER
(OpenType)
Date 24th March 2009
Size 145mm x 217mm
Fonts Bulletfont, Clearbullet,
Frutiger Pro, Myriad Pro, Travelfont