Weekend in Weimar

We chose the Hilton Weimar over the nearby Elephant for its location and amenities and were not disappointed at all. From the moment we checked in, our experience there was very good--as soon as the front desk realized we had requested a crib for our infant, they upgraded us to a larger room to ensure that we had plenty of space and provided quite a few good recommendations for nearby restaurants and sights. The Hilton is located in a quiet neighborhood across from Goethe Park, about a 10-minute walk to the pedestrian zone in town. It is a very easy--and nice--stroll if the weather is good; if not, the bus stops right in front of the hotel. Included in the rate was admittance to a nice heated indoor pool, saunas, and changing areas with lockers and showers. We were also amused and impressed with the on-site restaurant, Esplanade, which ran theme buffets during the weekend in addition to its regular menu service: Friday was seafood and Saturday was Moroccan. The food was surprising good, easily exceeding our expectations for buffet food. If you stay here, ask for a corner room, as these rooms are much larger than the "standard" ones. I'd gladly take my family for a stay here again!

The concentration camp at Buchenwald, on the northern outskirts of Weimar, is a very sobering experience. Many of its buildings have been torn down, but a few have been left standing to give you an idea of what the camp looked like and to house exhibitions of life there and its history, from its origins to its liberation by the Americans. Some of the exhibits, through personal letters and accounts, show how much the captors here believed in what they were doing; other exhibits display how cruelly those beliefs manifested themselves in the treatment of the prisoners. Yet others show how the human spirit endured in the harshest of conditions as each individual struggled to survive. This is not a place for the feint of heart or joy seekers; this is a place for remembrance and examination of truth. Admission is free and it can be reached in about 15 minutes from Weimar.