22 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Thuringia

Burgk Castle on the River Saale is the oldest and largest castle complex in the Thuringian Upper Region and is considered not only one of Thuringia's major cultural monuments but also one of Germany's most beautiful castles. It lies on an exposed site on a rock plateau above the village of Burgkhammer and the eponymous reservoir on a bend in the Saale.

The Duchess Anna Amalia Library is a research center for European cultural and literary history around 1800. It preserves literary records from the 9th to the 21st century as sources of cultural history and for research, catalogs them by formal aspects and content, and makes them available for use. It today has approximately 850,000 volumes with a collection emphasis on German literature. Among its special collections is an important Shakespeare collection of approximately 10,000 volumes, as wel

The Fröbelturm is a high 29,75 m observation tower near the city of Mountain Oberweißenbach in the Thuringian mountains. It was erected in the years 1888–1890 on the summit of the 784.2 m high Kirchberg by the Thuringian Forest Association as a token of thanks for Friedrich Froebel, the founder of the kindergartens. There is a restaurant in an annex.

Gnandstein Castle sitting high on a rock spur towering over the place of the same name. It is Saxony’s best-preserved Romanesque fortification. Its imposing shielding wall with the ward in front of it has visitors pause in awe. The castle is considered the best-preserved fortress in Saxony. During the Thirty Years' War, the castle was attacked by Swedish troops and partly destroyed. Shortly before the end of the war, the south wing burned down after being struck by lightning.

Goethe house is the main house lived in by the writer, poet, and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goethe whilst in Weimar. He lived in this Frauenplan Baroque house for more than twenty years, from 1809 to his death in 1832. The interior is for the most part the way he left it. The living rooms, workroom, and library are all open to the public. The permanent exhibition of the National Museum places Goethe in the context of Weimar classicism in the late 18C and early 19C.

Goethes Gartenhaus in the park on the Ilm in Weimar was a place of residence and work of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Since 1998 it belongs as part of the ensemble " Classical Weimar " for UNESCO - World Heritage Site. The house is possibly a winegrower's house from the 16th century - a time when viticulture still played a major role in Weimar. In its time, the slope was more of an orchard or vegetable growing area. Today the garden house is set up as a museum.

Ruins of Hanstein Castle Ruins of Hanstein Castle The castle ruin Hanstein is one of the most famous and interesting castle complexes in central Germany. In its present extent it was constructed in 1308 following a building period of 200 years. From the accessible north tower you can enjoy a beautiful view over the surroundings, and on a clear day you can see for instance the Brocken mountain in the Harz mountains. On offer are events, concerts, fairytales, exhibitions of cribs and Hanstein fest

The model house Am Horn is an experimental house of the Bauhaus in Weimar. The reason for building this single house based on a design by Georg Muche was the first Bauhaus exhibition in 1923. It served as an object to show how the Bauhaus imagined future communal living and working. It should offer a practicable answer to the housing shortage, with modular, cost-effective construction, use-oriented floor plan and living comfort through modern technology.

The Jentower is a high-rise in Jena. With a height of 144.5 m. it is the tallest office building in the new federal states according to the official height. It has 31 floors, including 2 basement floors and 29 upper floors. The tower is built using a sliding formwork method on a 3.20 m thick reinforced concrete base plate. The Jentower is currently owned by Saller Gewerbebau.

The Krämerbrücke is the oldest secular building in Erfurt and is one of the most famous landmarks of the city with a double-sided, closed bridge construction with half-timbered houses. It is the longest continuously built bridge in Europe. The pedestrian bridge spans the Gera, known here as Breitstrom, and connects Benediktsplatz in the old town center with Wenigemarkt in the eastern extension of the old town.

Leuchtenburg Castle towers 400 meters high above the valley, visible from far afield. This castle complex is almost 1000 years old and here you can feel the breath of history and discover internationally renowned architecture. it currently houses the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance. It was once home to the Leuchtenberg Gallery on the first floor.

The Lutherhaus in Eisenach is one of the oldest preserved half-timbered houses in Thuringia. According to tradition, Martin Luther lived here with the Cotta family during his school days from 1498 to 1501. It has been one of the most important historic Reformation sites since the 19th century and, as such, was designated a "European cultural heritage site" in 2011. The Lutherhaus has been run as a cultural history museum since 1956.

The Mylau Castle is a fortification on a rock spur in Mylau in the Saxon Vogtland. It is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Saxony and has been a listed building since 1980. "Not just a castle" - under this motto, evidence from the early industrial history of Saxony is also presented at Mylau Castle.

Museum Burg Posterstein is a hilltop castle on a rocky outcrop on the right bank of sprat in Posterstein in Altenburger Land in Thuringia. The hilltop castle emerged from a small ministerial castle from the late 12th century that was built over in the Renaissance period. It now houses a history museum with changing exhibitions & events.

The Otto-Dix-Haus in Gera is the birth house of the painter Otto Dix , it is at Mohrenplatz 4. The listed building became an art museum in 1991, for the 100th birthday of Otto Dix, which exhibits on two floors. Its permanent exhibition includes drawings, oil paintings and printed graphics from its own holdings.

The Petersberg Citadel is a unique ensemble illustrating European fortress architecture in the 17th to 19th century. It has a Baroque core. From 1815, there was neo-Prussian modernization work, of which the defense barracks and artillery wagon houses have survived. The citadel was built on the site of a medieval Benedictine Monastery and the earliest parts of the complex date from the 12th century. It is now the home of the German Horticulture Museum.

The Rudelsburg is a hilltop castle above Saaleck in the Burgenland district in Saxony-Anhalt. It is about 85 meters above the south bank of the Saale on a rocky ridge made of shell limestone. The castle was probably built by the bishops of Naumburg in the High Middle Ages to secure trade routes such as the Via Regia with the Saale bridge in Bad Kösen. When it was first mentioned in 1171, it was owned by the Naumburg ministerials.

The Schloss Altenburg is a former residence of the Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg. It is located in the center of Altenburg in Thuringia. It houses the exhibition areas of the Ducal Apartments 17./18. Century, 19./20. A century and the Playing Card Museum. The castle church with the famous consolation organ and a building history since the late Gothic as well as the late medieval tower complex are further sights.

The castle Belvedere is a lushly landscaped pleasure palace complex near the city of Weimar. The entire complex, including the park with its many exotic plants, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998 as part of the “ Classic Weimar ” ensemble. The castle with its numerous outbuildings and a landscape park with an orangery is located on the Eichenleite near Weimar, a hill about four kilometers south of the city center.

The peace flintlock in Gotha is an early Baroque palace complex on the site of the 1567 demolished castle Grimmenstein. It is the largest palace in Germany from the 17th century and is now home to a large number of museums and art collections. The palace complex today houses several museums. It is also notable for hosting the Ekhof-Theater, one of the oldest theatres in operation in Germany, still featuring the original Baroque machinery for changing the scenery.