Orientation

With students and locals outnumbering tourists at every corner, Jena is a place to experience what it really means to be a German. Germany Behind the Beer Stein, if you will, or The Real Life of Germany: Confessions of a Jena Student.

But navigating through Jena can be something of an obstacle course. Some tourists might throw up their hands in despair, retreat into the nearest pub, and decide not to emerge until Oktoberfest. And while this solution has a certain appeal, we can assure you that Jena is conquerable, even for the poorest of navigators. The Salle River runs through the eastern part of the city, coursing more to the west in southern Jena. At the center of the city are the Planetarium and other major sights that can be reached by traveling east-west on Fürstengraben, one of the biggest streets in Jena. Running south of Fürstengraben is Leutragraben, which leads to a seven-direction star of streets that take you to many of the other major city sights. Enter the Jena Tourist Information office, where every traveler should pick up a free map (or a more detailed version, €0.50).