Eisenach & the Wartburg
Wartburg Castle – Luther’s castle! Of course – everyone knows the castle as Martin Luther’s refuge, as the place where he was “kidnapped” by order of Frederick the Wise – and fought the devil with the inkwell, translated the New Testament into (understandable) German and ensured that the “remorse” or the “wolf in sheep’s clothing” is still on everyone’s lips today. But Saint Elisabeth was already active at the landgrave’s headquarters in the High Middle Ages – centuries before Luther – and today’s UNESCO World Heritage Site was already considered a centre of minnesong back then. The Singers’ War inspired Richard Wagner to write his opera “Tannhäuser”, which is still an integral part of the cultural programme today.
For Luther, Eisenach was already “my dear town” in the 16th century, where he was lovingly welcomed by the patrician Cotta family during his school years from 1498 to 1501. The award-winning exhibition in the Luther House provides a great insight into the reformer’s work. Probably the most beautiful and oldest half-timbered house in Eisenach is around 500 years old.
Just a few steps further on is the Bach House. The “sounding museum” in the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach houses the world’s largest exhibition on his life and work. Visitors can look forward to hourly live concerts on historical instruments, over 250 exhibits, historical living quarters, an atmospheric baroque garden and a “walk-in piece of music”.
Kontakt & Informationen:
Tourist-Information Eisenach
Markt 24, Stadtschloss | 99817 Eisenach
Distance from our hotel in Oberhof: approx. 62 km
automobile world eisenach
The “automobile world eisenach” takes a look under the bonnet of the Dixi and Wartburg. The museum in the authentic O2 factory building from 1935 documents over 120 years of automobile manufacturing tradition in Eisenach from 1898 with Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach AG through the Dixi, BMW and Wartburg era to the present day with Opel since 1991.
For theatre fans, there are two theatres in the town, the Landestheater Eisenach and the Theater am Markt, which offer a varied programme.
A stroll through the largest contiguous villa neighbourhood in Germany evokes the spirit of the 19th century. Here, Eisenach shows itself from its most beautiful side and lovers of Art Nouveau ornaments, wrought-iron garden gate art or impressive bay window variations will get their money’s worth. Wandering through the enchanted Dragon Gorge is an extraordinary experience, over gratings, with the rushing stream beneath your feet. Yes, the Dragon Gorge is one of the most exciting geological monuments in Thuringia. And if you don’t know what a “Runst” is, you’ve probably never hiked the Rennsteig. Eisenach offers the opportunity to get to know the 170-kilometre-long ridge trail. It starts in the Eisenach district of Hörschel, the official start of the Rennsteig.
Want to cycle the World Heritage Site several times, for those who like it a little faster? Eisenach is the meeting point of four important cycle paths that combine beautiful nature and historical sites: the Werratal cycle path, the Thuringian Chain of Towns cycle path, the Hercules-Wartburg cycle path and the Rennsteig cycle path, so it’s no wonder that Goethe described the Eisenach region as “over-glorious” in a letter to Charlotte von Stein – because that’s exactly what it is: wonderfully rich in culture, historically exciting and easy to hike.
Further information, tickets, souvenirs and hiking maps are available from the tourist information centre on the market square.
The guided tour of the old town with world history and culture at your fingertips takes place daily and all year round. On the Friday evening adventure tour in the summer months, people from past centuries await you in contemporary garb; in the winter months, a tour guide awaits you with a lantern and mulled wine to warm you up. Tickets for the tours are available online at www.eisenach.info or at the tourist information centre, which is open daily.
