Weekend Getaway to Weimar

Weimar might not be on your radar – yet. It is a small German town in Thuringia and will ring a bell if you are familiar with German history and culture. Otherwise it might ring a bell in future after you have read this blog post. So why Weimar? First of all, the decision was largely shaped by a friend who runs the wonderful Design Apartments Weimar right there. Second, the history of this place is amazing. Goethe, Schiller, the Bauhaus movement – big names all in one small town. Let’s have a look, shall we?

Weimar is a four hours drive from Munich away and has quite something to offer. Even though it’s a pretty small town, it’s rich in art, culture, and architecture. One of Germany’s most important writers, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, lived and worked in Weimar. So did Friedrich von Schiller, yet another important German poet and playwright. Both belonged to the so-called Weimar Classicism literary movement. So it comes as no surprise that both gentlemen adorn the city’s central square in front of the theatre.

Weimar is utterly picturesque. A cute old town invites the visitors to roam and discover the sights on-the-go. Due to its rather small size, it is easy to do everything by foot. Some of the main sights of Weimar include the castle with a museum, the Anna Amalia Library, and a vast adjacent park. In the park you can visit Goethe’s garden home where he found inspiration in nature.

One of the must-sees is Goethe’s home and museum. When you walk through his home you will notice that Goethe was quite an interior guy. Every room has a different colour referencing the decor or purpose of the room. He collected crystals and stones, owned lots of books, busts and replicas from Italy – in a nutshell: This could have been my home hundreds of years ago. Do not miss the museum after the house visit. It is really amazing and very informative.

Moreover, the Bauhaus museum in the city center is an excellent place if you are interested in design and architecture. Though pretty small, it gives a great insight into the Bauhaus movement which originated in Weimar. In fact you will spot lots of buildings from various eras and styles in the old town – from medieval buildings over classicist buildings to Bauhaus architecture.

Despite it’s great number of museums and sights, you can really take it easy and enjoy the city. Weimar offers some fine cafés and restaurants too. Check out the Koriat Kuchenmanufaktur for delicious homemade cakes, the cool Weinbar for great tapas and wine, or the Anno 1900 for a good dinner. For breakfast I recommend the Brotklappe with fabulous pastries and breads from their in-house bakery.

Weimar has more to offer than just history. If you love design and home decor, do not miss a visit to the recently opened Design.We.Love shop. A fine selection of design items, including the work of local artists, as well as vintage items are on sale there. In another curiosity shop I found amazing big crystals for a fraction of the price I would pay in Munich. So even from Weimar you will not return empty-handed.

Let’s quickly return to the first reason why I went to Weimar. My friend Mark runs with his partner three design apartments in a beautiful 19th century buildings. Each apartment is meticulously designed and styled with a great sense for design. And the best is: Many of the items can be bought in their webshop too. Design to live in and take home if you want so.

So I don’t know if you will ever get to Weimar or not. But I hope you got a little impression of what makes this German city so special and worth visiting. Happy weekend (already, I know)!!

Photography by Igor Josifovic