Hotel Goldner Löwe

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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.

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.

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.

Meerane

Go on a cheap car holiday to Germany and experience the pleasant town of Meerane. The city is located in an industrial area, Chemnitz-Zwickau. But equally you will find many interesting experiences and several nice green areas. Meerane is best experienced on foot and a walk through the town that offers more than 825 years of interesting history. Take the opportunity to pass the 14th century St. Martin's Church and climb the church tower where you can enjoy a lovely view. Stroll around the city's pretty streets and squares with great opportunities for shopping and food breaks. The Neumarkt market square is the city's most famous spot, but only one of a few fine ones. At Teichplatz you can climb the Italian steps, in the church tower. And you can also visit Lörracher Platz by the new town hall and Wilhelm-Wunderlich Platz on August-Bebel strasse. The "Steep Wall" or "Steile Wand" is one of the most famous streets in the city and Meerane's landmark. In the course of the street's 248 meters it rises over 30 meters in height and is thus considered challenging for cyclists and is often part of various bicycle races.

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.