Hotel am Schloss Apolda

Weimar

The cultural city of Weimar also invites you to visit. In 1999, Weimar was named European Capital of Culture. Here you can see Goethe's house and garden - the yellow house with gates at each end or visit the small town where Goethe's good friend Schiller wrote many of his famous works. The house where he lived can of course be seen on Schillerstrasse in Weimar. It is also a great experience to see the Hoher Meissner nature park. It is now a large nature reserve.

Naumburg Cathedral

Naumburg has almost 1,000 years of history and is also part of the history of the Reformation and Martin Luther.

The Gothic cathedral with late Romanesque features is today one of the most important monuments of the High Middle Ages and also belongs as one of the major sights on the 'Omani Route'. 'Uta von Naumburg' is one of the twelve statues in the cathedral and this exceptional stone sculpture from the 13th century is probably one of the most famous Gothic works of art in Germany.

It was in Naumburg Cathedral that Luther stayed in 1521, on his way to the Diet in Worms, and it was also in Naumburg Cathedral that the first Protestant bishop was consecrated in 1542 by none other than Martin Luther, who was also a good friend of the newly consecrated bishop Nikolaus von Amsdorf.

Naumburg

Naumburg is a picturesque town with cultural monuments from the Romanesque and Gothic periods, colourful Renaissance town houses and Baroque terraces. Experience world culture in Naumburg, where the almost one thousand year old town takes visitors on a wondrous journey back to the Middle Ages.

Fans of Baroque music should definitely visit St Wenceslas Church, which houses the largest Hildebrandt organ in the world. From May to October, short dinner concerts are offered every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, as well as on public holidays.

Geo-Nature Parks Saale-Unstrut - Triasland

The first thing that surprises visitors is how much the southern part of the park could remind of a landscape taken from the Mediterranean areas, there are for example 24 species of orchids growing wild in the area, and then there are also many castles, palaces, beautiful gardens, monasteries not to mention the cathedral Naumburger Dom in Freyburg.

The nature park is closely linked to the geology of the area, where the rocks date back to the Triassic period and consist of sandstone and shell limestone, among other things.

There are plenty of cycling and walking routes, and there's a lot to see. There are both short and long walks, so everything can be tailored to your strength and desire, the important thing is just to get out and experience the ancient park.

Nebra Ark

Book a cheap hotel stay and go on a self-drive holiday in Germany and see the Nebra Sky Disk found in Saxony-Anhalt. The Nebra Sky Disk dates back to the Bronze Age and was found in Nebra, which is located in the region of Saxony-Anhalt.

It is a thin bronze disc with a diameter of just 32 cm. On the bronze disc are just under 30 stars, with a collection of stars that could represent the constellation of the Pleiades, also known by the more common name of the Sevenstar. In the Arche Nebra visitor centre, the whole story of this exciting celestial disc is told.

Freyburg

In Freyburg, winegrowing is an important part of the landscape but also for the population of the area. The very romantic town is known for its sparkling wine and is situated in an idyllic landscape of gentle hills, forests, fields in an area otherwise characterised by the terraces that make up the vineyards.

Every year on the second weekend in September, the market in Freyburg is transformed into the biggest wine-growing festival in central Germany. Numerous winemakers from the region come together to showcase their wines, while traders fill the streets and there's dancing and partying galore. Schweigenberg in Freyburg, with its dry stone walls, is one of the most striking examples of winegrowing of all time and in 2010 it was included in the exclusive list of "Wine Cultural Highlights" issued by the German Wine Institute. Both here and along the Ehrauberge, south of Freyburg, there are numerous wine restaurants and taverns, so do stop and sample the local drops, but beware if your car has joined you on the trip.

Towering over the city is the grand Neuenburg Castle, built around 1090 by Thuringian Count Ludwig Springer, founder of one of the most influential dynasties of princes in the Holy Roman Empire. Today the castle houses a museum with various exhibitions on the Middle Ages as well as a wine museum and several special exhibitions.

If you've ever wanted to know how the bubbles get into your glass of sparkling wine, take a tour of the historic Rotkäppchen cellars and be initiated into the mystery.

Also visit St Mary's Church which was built in 1225 and has since been extended in 1500 and 1592 with several additions to the interior.

Freyburg is a nice little town that should definitely be on the list of towns to visit in the area. The whole family will enjoy the lovely walk through the undulating landscape filled with vineyards.

Little Red Riding Hood

Sample a host of sparkling wines in Rotkäppchen, also the German market leader in the field, and learn about the distilling process and how the effervescent gems are made. There's also a shop where you can buy the sekt that has worked most convincingly.

A great opportunity to taste the finished product, produced from the local grapes, and a very close treatment of the raw materials.

Neuenburg Castle - Freyburg

Towering over the town is the largest castle built by the landgraves of Thuringia, a sister to Wartburg and was the residence of such famous names as Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa, the poet Heinrich von Veldeke and St Elisabeth. Neuenburg Castle was built in around 1090 by Thuringian Count Ludwig Springer, the founder of one of the most influential dynasties of princes in the Holy Roman Empire. As a visitor, it is hard not to notice the impressive castle immediately. It also ranks among the largest and most impressive castles of the period in all of Europe.

The castle has undergone several improvements and maintenance over the years, and is therefore definitely worth a visit. The impressive medieval buildings take visitors straight back to the dark ages, marked by wars, political intrigues, just surviving in a multitude of wars, sieges and impressive clashes for power.

Today Neuenburg Castle houses an attractive modern museum with exhibitions of the height of the Middle Ages, a wine museum and various special exhibitions.

Erfurt

On a cheap car holiday in Germany, a must is to visit Thuringia's capital, Erfurt, a delightful mix of squares, old alleyways, small church towers and idyllic riverside areas. The city was home to the famous University of Erfurt in the 1300s, where Martin Luther was the most famous student. Today you can still feel the medieval roots of the city and there is a unique atmosphere among the old houses. Book a cheap self-drive holiday with Risskov and discover the cosy city. Among the main sights are the market square with the city's cathedral, the medieval bridge Krämerbrücke and the old Augustinian monastery.

Querfurt Castle

Querfurt Castle is the largest castle in central Germany and is visible from all directions as it towers over the town of Querfurt.

One of the best places to start a visit to Querfurt is in the Old Town at the Market Square. The town hall, whose main building is late Gothic, still serves as the seat of the town administration. Take the walk over to the old town wall which dates from the 14th century and gives visitors a good idea of the size of Querfurt Castle. The late Gothic church is also worth a visit and a small tip would be to make your way past the cemetery, which contains graves dating back five centuries.

Visitors arriving by car can use one of the free parking spaces and then simply follow the signs to the Old Town with its baroque Ackerbürgerhäuser.

An ideal souvenir from your visit to Querfurt would be a bottle of 'Edler von Querfurt', grown in the former monastery's vineyard 'St. Bruno', not far from the town, or the plant-like liqueur 'Dicker Heinrich', which can be bought in any wine shop.

Do

Gera is a wondrous city with striking old half-timbered houses that bear witness to great riches. In the pedestrian area you can enjoy the picturesque houses, the city landmark, the 450 year old town hall with the 57 meter high tower, the Renaissance pharmacy with the carved corner chimneys on several floors, the Samson fountain in the middle of the market square, the churches and many other interesting buildings. Also try to go underground, in deep cellars and taste a delicious beer. Gera is also an old beer brewery town, Carl Zeis one of the world's most renowned optical industries, originates from here.