Weimar: A Dream of German Romance

Bold modern art (Bauhaus, Art Deco, and Jugenstil) makes harmonious statements with architecture from the 1500s and earlier. Quaint exteriors, like that of the original Hotel Elephant, hide treasures of modern art in seamless transition. Weimar is as beautiful as Belgium’s Bruge and more sweeping in its significance that spans the centuries.

Art. Music and theater schools inhabit important antique buildings, such as Lucas Cranach House (Market Square), and so hidden courtyards revealed themselves to us with strains of Bach, Mendelson, Liszt, and Wagner, all residents of Weimar and Leipzig. Lucas Cranach’s altarpieces decorate as many churches here as Rubens’ in Antwerp, and statues of Goethe, Schiller, and other poets dominate every square and even peek over hotel balconies and grace kellar doorways. Neptune, dripping seaweed, spurting fish at his feet, rises from the fountain, center market, and Shakespeare haunts, not on Avon, but an der Ilm River in Park an der Ilm.

Parks; topiary, flower, and herb gardens; pedestaled busts of cultural icons (Pushkin, Tolstoi); marble patios; fountains; multi-pointed steeples on black half-onion domes; half-timbered buildings - all these decorate in profusion the huge pedestrian zone and beyond. Massive expanses of beautifully-patterned cobblestone carpet the city, and giant linden trees line Schillerstrasse, Theaterplatz and other streets, making line drawings against the sky and framing the colorful shuttered houses of the bygone rich and famous. Blue and yellow Schillerhaus and the peach and yellow palais of the widow Duchess Anna Amalia, Grand Dame of the German Enlightenment and patron of poets, are good tours close to the center square, and Goethe’s Gardenhaus is not far in the other direction in the park.

We experienced the excitement of cultural enlightenment in Weimar. At Hotel Elephant, we were there in Goethe’s century. Our hinged windows opened onto the Markt with the aroma of hot Thuringian sausages billowing up to our windows. We hastened to the market early morning, then to the bakery. After bienenstich, we frollicked in the park, and then hearing the music, we hurried to the tours.

Quick Tips:

Center market is for breakfast. If you don’t like sausage, buy fruit. The market is set up by 8am. Bakeries are also within a block. We tried three and found D. Reichenbach, corner of the Markt, the best. Their bienenstich is the best pudding pastry, but others are also good. Eat on the street as you walk to the next delightful course.

Hotel Elephant is the best in all of Germany, but even those who aren’t staying should go inside and look around. A patio lunch at the Anna Amalia restaurant is an exciting option after May 1; it is open only for dinner until then. This historic establishment is named for the "Grand Dame of the Enlightenment." In the basement is the Elephantenkellar, former stomping ground of poets. Writers visiting them ate and drank here, so the cellar boasts a list of famous guests.

Many tours were not in English, and some attendants did not volunteer literature - one must ask. Wall displays were frequently in German only, and attendants didn't offer earphones, even when they were available in English! Germans will learn to promote their city, for it is a cultural paradise.

Best Way To Get Around:

We took the train to Weimar Hauptbahnhof and got a bus (# 1, 5, or 7) in front of the train station to Goethe Platz, as close as one can get to center square on public transportation. From there, the Markt is three blocks or more of straight streets, plus a few large squares. Wheeling heavy luggage on cobblestones this distance isn’t easy, plus the directions are confusing, across squares and around turns. Fortunately, some locals who would like to be guides hang around the bus stop. When I mentioned "Markt," a local was happy to walk us there, pointing out each site of interest as we went. Once we got into the pedestrian zone, we found directions to all attractions clearly indicated on signs at all corners. Horse and carriage brought some guests to Hotel Elephant. Once in the Altstadt walking is possible and a delight to all attractions and the park. Two castles, Schloss Tiefurt and Schloss Belvedere, require a bus.

Bikes would be nice for the park and to cover a larger area of town. Tourist Information, easy to find on the Markt, has info on rentals.

Hotel Elephant on the Markt in Weimar is the city’s most historic hotel. Now part of Sheraton’s "luxury" collection, it was the social center of Weimar at the end of the 1600s and has been documented as far back as 1542. Charming and quaint outside, it is bold inside with black Jugenstil doors, a fabulous bauhaus brass and marble 6-story stairway, plenty of public areas with modern art on the walls, common sitting areas on every floor with Bauhaus and art deco furnishings, great extra-large bathrooms, fabulous historic restaurants (see entry), and best of all, hinged windows that open onto either the center market square or the Anna Amalia courtyard, patio, and garden.

Our suite on the third floor was delightful! The sitting room had a comfy high black leather sofa with mod high tea table and a curious red leather bauhaus chair, one that is repeated in the Elephant Library and attracted much attention there. Our door opened onto a huge common sitting room (rather than a hallway) with simple, ultra-modern furnishings and decorations. The interior decor is significant, as it helped us to appreciate some modern designs that "come together" so well in antique buildings in Europe, better than in newer structures in this country -- something to ponder! Elephant’s interior is un-Sheraton, quite unique, and a jewel filled with art! Staying there is like staying in a museum!

Our bedroom had two natural wood closets built in on either side of the bed, and one bedside shelf (the male side?) was fitted with a control panel to radio, alarm, and lighting. The lighting was exciting. All closet doors in the bedroom and sitting room (two more closets) triggered recessed lights above them. An interesting bauhaus desk andchair completed the furnishings, and even the waste basket was different.

Our bath in black and gold tile was fabulous: extra large, as unique as everything else at Hotel Elephant, and complete with Sheraton personal items. The steam-free heated mirror was appreciated.

Service was great, everything immaculate, and our room was even cleaned while we were out in the afternoon with turn-down service and chocolate on the pillows. All front desk staff spoke great English and offered informative commentary on hotel history and decor. (Former guests include Tolstoi, Bach, Liszt, and Hitler.) Goethe and Schiller are still there, it seems -- their busts, statues, and other images are everywhere.

Guests can buy Elephant souvenirs: shirts, ties, scarves, jewelry, and key chains (38 euros). Rooms are expensive (our Junior Suite, close to 300 euros in season), but Sheraton Preferred Guest members may be glad to know that this hotel is a Category 2 -- only 3,000 points on weekends! That must be the deal of this century for such a quaint, lavish, and delightful visit to the German Enlightenment!

To follow in the footsteps of Goethe and Schiller, I had to have dinner at Elephantenkellar in the basement of Hotel Elephant. The restaurant dates from 1596. A local man was granted the license to begin a bar he wanted to have an animal name, as those were popular for bars at that time in Germany. In the 1700s, Goethe, Schiller, Liszt, Wagner, Bach, and artists from other countries who visited drank and dined at "the Elephant." It was the place to go, and as soon as we entered, we understood why. The Elephant is beautiful! We had descended the hotel stairs to get to the basement, but another entrance from the street is on the Markt. At either door, guests are greeted as soon as they enter the great room by either Goethe or Schiller in ivory. We paused by the statue for a photo with the celebrated hosts.

We were seated in a huge circular booth. Looking around, we admired busts of the poets and poetry painted and illustrated on the walls. The menu features local Thuringian cuisine with mostly red meat dishes and pork. So . . . this would be a hearty meal, just what I expected in Germany. I started to order the Thuringian pot roast, but the waiter was astute enough to suggest that I might want to avoid that selection if I didn’t like organ meats! (It had two different organs in it!) I decided instead on the Thuringian roast beef with potato dumplings and salad, and my friend ordered the pork roast, which was flavored with some livers and mushrooms and potato dollars.

My salad was exceptional with at least a dozen ingredients cut up really small and covered with delicious sweet-and-sour dressing. It was close to the best salad I've ever tasted. We enjoyed three varieties of bread--black, rye, and another brown, but the butter was too cold to spread. Everything was delicious, except the potato dumplings, which I thought were a little too loaded with fat and somewhat tasteless because they weren’t browned at all. A few days later, Auerbachs Kellar in Leipzig confirmed for me that German potato dumplings are sometimes browned and more tasty for the trouble.

This restaurant is open for lunch noon ‘til 3pm and for dinner 6pm ‘til midnight; closed Tuesdays. Our meals weren’t expensive, about 11 and 14 euro. The service was excellent. I highly recommend Elephantenkellar for atmosphere, historical significance, service, and good food. As you can see, it’s also great for photo ops.

"City Church" is the most historically important one in Weimar, as it reveals the interactions of famous artists, musicians, theologians, and royalty throughout the centuries and particularly during the Reformation and Enlightenment. The church is in the oldest part of town just one block from the pedestrian zone north of the Markt at Herderplatz. The square is named for Johann Gottfried Herder, philosopher, theologian, and superintendant of the church until 1803--just before Schiller’s death. A statue of the theologian is near the entrance in the parking lot. Like Anna Amalia, he was an important German we know mostly through his association with the poets, painters, and composers of his time, and like the Duchess, he is buried in this church. Bach’s sons were christened here and his music played. Parts of the structure date from 1250, and the square, predating the Markt, was the center of Weimar activity during the Middle Ages. Now there is vehicle traffic all around, but inside is a beautiful church of German baroque, redecorated in the 1700s in golds, pinks, and blues.

Lutheran doctrine has been preached here since 1525, and we were thrilled to find the famous Lucas Cranach masterpieces of Luther. Over the altar is the Redemption triptych begun by Cranach, the elder, and finished by his son in 1555. It is the one in which the artist ignores the bounds of time and places himself in the picture with Christ, Luther, and the ducal family. The painter is spattered by Christ’s blood, signifying mercy, and Luther is pointing to the Bible to emphasize the source of his teachings, superceding papal authority. The Redemption theme and images of Luther are repeated throughout the church. The Luther triptych by Cranach is also here to the left of the altar, as well as two royal tombs.

Entrance is free, and when we asked, we found an English-speaking attendant who was very informative. She described in detail the history of Reformation in Weimar and pointed us in the direction of three more churches, all close together and representing Catholic, German Reformation, and Russian Orthodox. She made us appreciate the close relationship of royalty to the church, and since Weimar had more than its share of diverse royalty, it also has a plethora of churches. Our informant was an older lady, not schooled in English like younger Germans, and she was difficult to understand, but tenacious. I really enjoyed her--and I understood! All in all, I recommend Stadkirche as a good tour and an important, informative landmark.

Giant trees, shuttered windows, and extra nice pavement combine to make Schillerhaus the most photogenic, most photographed house in town. Everybody, even those who don’t tour the home, must pass it regularly on any visit to Weimar’s Altstadt or Old Town, because the wide boulevard known as the city’s "showcase," together with Fraunplan lead to the center market from the main bus stop on Goethe Platz. All along the blocks of Schillerstrasse, this city, not old enough to be called a "fairytale town," reveals itself as the picture-perfect "City of Romance." Shops, flowers, colorful houses--everything is beautiful. On rainy days, the pavement glistens as though painted with lacquer, and even the eastern German sky cooperates and casts a special hue. No wonder so many notable artists chose Weimar as their favorite place to be! Wunderschon!

Walking from the Markt was easy: one block up Fraunplan and right onto Schillerstrasse to the large yellow and blue shuttered house on the right. Admission (5 euros) is in the back, and the courtyard there has benches for contemplating life in Weimar in the 1700s and early 1800s. Schiller moved in in 1801. A lucky visitor may find music there in summer. In April, we didn’t. Inside, we found no narration or audio. Still, we got a good idea of how Schiller lived and then went directly to Visitor Info on the Markt to buy an inexpensive book. Photos aren’t permitted, but I didn’t see the sign.

The poet said this home took every penny he had, but was the most perfectly situated property in town. Not far from his friend Goethe, he spent his last three years here, his final illness in the bed in his third floor study, where he wrote "The Bride of Messina" and "William Tell." Not as expensive a property as Goethe’s on Fraunplan, it is nonetheless furnished as appropriately, set up the way the poet had it, and representative of the German Enlightenment. Cupboards are particularly charming, some intricately painted with grays and dull turquoise blues--very German. The poet’s books are here. Wallpapers, careful reprints of the poet’s originals, were re-hung in 1988, and the house has been a museum since 1847--so it is quite authentic.

The family, the poet, his wife and children, lived mostly on the second floor, a frequent custom in the area. Rooms there are arranged for entertaining, and the living space has a secure, "protected" feeling, though not sufficient to nurture the fragile Schiller from untimely death.

The tour is a must, and so is a photograph of the front of the house. For the best angle, stand to the left of the home far enough away to include some tree branches, and you will capture some of the charm of the literary city of Weimar. Like other attractions, Schillerhaus is closed Tuesdays. Buses 1, 4, 6, and 8 run from the train station to Goethe Platz, just a block away.

"Where else can you find so many good things in such a small place!"--Goethe

The poet was referring to Weimar, but anyone visiting Goethe’s Gartenhaus knows he felt the same about his garden overlooking the Park an der Ilm. The house was his first, bought when he was young and had not yet made much money. He and his wife lived there until he could afford the more impressive home am Frauenplan 1, but they loved Gartenhaus so much (and gardening and minerals) that they never sold it. It became part of the romance of the poet's life and Weimar.

We turned right from the Hotel Elephant door and walked past the large restoration underway just past the Elephant. The sidewalk led us to the beautiful Park an der Ilm, where signs pointed the way to the steps and then the bridge to Goethe’s lovely garden. The walk wasn’t long, less than 10 minutes, but we should have allotted an hour for the park--it was large and lovely. Guides didn’t speak much English, and I was disappointed that we had paid 5 euro each to walk through the small house in 5 minutes without any narration to listen to. I thought, "If they had audio, they would have volunteered it," but I was wrong. My experience touring in Weimar the day before was that these sites didn’t have audio or didn’t have it in English. Ready to quit the house for the garden, I made earphone motions with my hands, and one guide responded by shaking his head "Yes." It was a 50-minute audio program that was wonderful! I listened to the details of Goethe’s career, his friends, gardening, family, how he handled his money. Touring in the eastern part of Germany was getting better! It was a good tour.

The house has two floors with gardening implements and sparse furnishings. The most interesting piece of furniture is a high desk (the height of a podium) where Goethe liked to write. In front of it is a high chair with a long narrow seat one can straddle. When he worked at his high desk standing up, he could straddle the seat to take the weight off his feet and so sit without bending his back--as I have been doing all day sitting at this computer. Goethe appreciated the value of this chair--as I would now--so much that he praised it in his writing until other people decided they would have to get one! He started a movement popularizing the chair, which is actually a kind of stool one might expect to see in the Bauhaus Museum. (Form follows function!)

The poet terraced the hillside, created attractive pebble walks, and planted ivy and flowers, everything from hostas to daffodils. Benches in secluded areas provide places to sit and enjoy the garden, as Goethe did.

Buses 1, 4, 6, and 8 run to the home from town. Like other attractions in Weimar, Gartenhaus is closed Tuesdays.

I first learned about the Bauhaus Movement in architecture and design when I read From Bauhaus to Our House by Tom Wolfe, America’s most irreverent art critic who really hated Bauhaus. It’s a good book, especially interesting to Americans, as it recounts our own indignant reaction to a style of design that has changed the face of the earth in the 20th century. While we were demanding that almost new buildings be torn down--and our demonstrations did lead to the imploding of huge, expensive new structures in St. Louis and Miami--the rest of the world was creating more Bauhaus buildings. Our partiality for Frank Lloyd Wright and his "prairie style" will never die and has probably "tempered" the bolder movement. Regardless, the Bauhaus Museum is the place where almost anyone can broaden his/her understanding and definition of the style.

I knew this decor didn’t integrate well with anything I had. Most Americans have this problem, I think. Just look at my second photo here and ask yourself if you want that lamp in your house! To Americans, these items present a puzzle to which the only answer seems to be "Get rid of everything you own and start over." Plus, some pieces look like dime-store junk, yet they are expensive and look good in modern luxury hotels! Solving this mystery was reason enough for me to visit the Bauhaus Museum, and I did discover that the style isn’t as narrow as I had thought.

The museum is across the square from the Deutsches Nationaltheater on Theater Platz. It’s easy to find by following multi-armed signs on all street corners in the Old Town and only about two blocks from the market square. Admission is 4 euro to view over 500 items representative of the style and ranging in size from large desks and chairs to cups. Many of these pieces occasioned much controversy and upheavel in the art world, so even the smallest items have their story. The only problem is that this museum doesn’t tell many of the stories, and the small amount of literature is in German. Photos are prohibited.

The movement was centered in Weimar during the decade following World War I, when Walter Gropius moved to Weimar to direct the Staatliches Bauhaus, a school of design that affected all aspects of modern art and influenced Kandinsky and Klee, who are well represented in the area’s art museums. So, this is an important museum. Too bad there aren’t great audio programs in English! The day I was there, attendants didn’t speak much English either. I’ve learned since my visit that some early Bauhaus buildings were erected in Weimar during Gropius’s stay here, and I’m sure the Visitor Information Center on the Markt can provide addresses for a walking tour. Plus, there are more Bauhaus sites, including Gropius’s house, in Dessau, not far from Weimar. Of course, there are more of the buildings in Germany than anywhere else, but the early buildings define the pure style.

"It moves us not!--Great God, I’d rather be
A pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn."
--William Wordsworth

The English poet expresses better than any, perhaps, the spirit of Romanticism, encapsulated in the "sight of Proteus" (Neptune in Roman mythology), so what better statue for the center square in Weimar, the birthplace of German Romanticism! The picture on Sheraton’s website of the Hotel Elephant with Neptune in the foreground is what tipped the scales for me to go to Weimar to experience the Romanticism, the poetry I loved (and memorized as a schoolgirl). Yes, I would pass up castles on the Rhine for the sight of Neptune rising in the center square of Weimar. I could dance around this town of about 60,000 delighting in sensations. I could be the pagan and be moved by a feeling beyond reason! Just fill my ears with poetry and music, and fill my belly with Thuringian sausage and bakery sweets!

Roaming the vendor’s carts in the market, I was reminded of another poem by Wordsworth: "If thou appear untouched by solemn thought,/ Thy nature is not therefore less Divine." Feeling guilty that I couldn’t quote Goethe or Schiller, I still enjoyed the market with abandon morning, afternoon, and evening. There was so much to see, and I could watch from my room when I wasn’t down on the square tasting divine offerings. The aromas awakened me each morning, and canine training classes entertained me in the evening. Giddy with romance, I appreciated the pagan dogs, unruly and impish.

The vendors began to set up at 6am and were open by 8am. We watched them until we were ready to descend to the cobblestone. One could find a few non-food items--pocketbooks, baskets, flowers, bedding plants--but mostly fresh fruits and vegetables (from the Mediterranean, signs proclaimed), hot sausages, and baguettes or sandwiches. One booth with tables for seating never opened, but it was April, the high season for the market not quite underway until May. Everyone stopped at some cart to grab breakfast and consume it on his way to someplace else. A shoeshine fellow pleaded with us to stop for a shine, but we were in a hurry, too.

All this takes place before the backdrop of facades from the 1500s. Lucas Cranach House, now a theater school, beautiful antique City Hall, and charming Hotel Elephant with Goethe looking down from the balcony set the stage. Just a few steps from the square is the Liszt School of Music, from which beautiful sounds sometimes fill the plaza. Mixed with the aroma of Thuringian sausage (yum!), it’s easy to "have glimpses that would make me less forlorn." If this isn’t enough, try the bakery on the corner of the square!