Weimar Overview

In its prime, Weimar, a small German town of 64,000, was a watering hole for cultural icons such as Goethe, Schiller, and Johann Gottfried von Herder (grandfather of the Romantics) whose fame still draws thousands of visitors to the city. In 1999, Weimar was declared the cultural capital of all of Europe, and, for the occasion, underwent extensive restoration (think prom queen the night before the formal), making it one of the most renovated cities in the former DDR. Despite the fact that Goethe's name is stamped on every storefront, restaurant window, and child in town, Weimar should also be appreciated for its brief history as the capital and namesake of the Weimar Republic, Germany's first attempt at a democratic state after WWI, and as the birthplace of the Bauhaus architectural and artistic movement, whose Bauhaus Universität still brings the city bohemian energy.

Orientation

Tell any German that you‘ve just come from Weimar, and they‘ll respond knowingly, nodding with eyebrows raised; “Ah, yes. Weimar, the cultural capital of Germany. Did you enjoy it? And did you, by ...more

Accommodations

Labyrinth Hostel, Goethepl. 6 (www.weimar-hostel.com), Travelers weary of sterile HI hostels will find something a little cozier in this place hidden a few yards off the street. With a clean, well-maintained ...more

Sights

For such a small town, Weimar has a ton of fascinating cultural history. Of course, as the hometown of Goethe and Schiller, this city will always belong to its poets (to whom every overpriced restaurant ...more

Food

Anything with “Goethe” in the name is pretty much off-limits to the budget traveler. Food in Weimar is generally very expensive, but there are a few ways to get around the high cost. For groceries ...more

Nightlife

By 9pm Weimar's streets may be empty, but there are still a few student hangouts that keep going late into the evening. Studenten Club Kasseturm, Goethepl. 10 (www.kasseturm.de), The oldest student club ...more

Shopping

Ever the tourist's city, Weimar's litle shops and boutiques are often expensive, and aren't always very unique. But for visitors that look hard enough, there's always something to be found that's in budget ...more

Essentials

Tourist Offices: Weimar Information. (Markt. 10, across from the Rathaus.☎ 03643 74 50 www.weimar.de i 2hr. Walking tours, in German, leave the office daily ...more

Daytrip From Weimar

A quarter-million Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, communists, and political prisoners were incarcerated at the Buchenwald labor camp during WWII. Buchenwald was not explicitly an extermination camp, but over ...more