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Voykit pocket guide · Germany
Weimar
Give Weimar two nights, not a day trip: the museums need half a day each and the Buchenwald memorial takes another. Walk everywhere; the centre is 1 km from the station.
Weimar is a small Thuringian town, population about 63,000, that carries three histories in a 15-minute walking radius: Goethe and Schiller, the 1919 republic that took its name, and the Bauhaus, founded here in 1919. The Buchenwald memorial sits 10 km outside on the same bus line. Most visitors come on coaches for a few hours; two nights lets you see the core without rushing and still reach the camp.
- Country
- Germany
- Best months
- May–Sep; late Sep–Oct for the onion market
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (museums on winter hours, Liszt House closed)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Card acceptance has improved but some bakeries, bars and small restaurants are still cash only.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telekom, Vodafone and O2 are the networks; Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect and congstar resell them cheaply in supermarkets and electronics shops.
- Emergency
- Fire and ambulance 112 · Police 110
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US devices need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or add 5–10%; say the total you want to pay as you hand over money or card.; Bar and café: Round up to the nearest euro.; Taxi: Round up by €1–2.; Hotel housekeeping: €1–2 a night, optional.; Free walking tour: €10–15 per person.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Restaurants usually sell bottled water; fizzy (mit Kohlensäure) is the default, ask for 'still' or 'ohne'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost €0.50–1.50 (Rail&Fresh WC); restaurant toilets are for customers; the 'WC' at motorway rest stops takes coins and gives a voucher.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Thuringian bratwurst from a Markt stand | €3–5 |
| Coffee and cake | €5–9 |
| Lunch, one course | €10–16 |
| Dinner, mid-range restaurant | €18–30 |
| Beer, 0.5 l in a pub | €4–6 |
| Museum entry (Goethe, Schiller, Bauhaus, Belvedere) | €6–13 |
| Bus single ticket in town | €1.60 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ERF · Erfurt-Weimar
- About 30 km; mostly charter flights, so check what actually flies before booking.About 19 mi; mostly charter flights, so check what actually flies before booking.
- LEJ · Leipzig/Halle
- The practical international option: S-Bahn to Leipzig or Halle, then train to Weimar, roughly 1.5–2 h total.
- FRA · Frankfurt
- Direct long-distance trains to Weimar, often with a change in Erfurt; about 3 h.
Typical fares
- Weimar Hbf → Goetheplatz, bus
- about €1.60, a few minutes (check)
- Weimar → Erfurt, regional train
- about €5–8, 15 min (check)
- Taxi across the centre
- €8–12
Get around
Walk. The old town is compact and flat enough that buses are only useful for the station or Buchenwald. Bus 6 runs to the Buchenwald memorial in about 20 min; single tickets cost about €1.60 (check). Regional trains and the Thüringen-Ticket cover local buses too.
See and do
Known for
- Goethe and Schiller houses
- Bauhaus, founded here in 1919
- Weimar Republic and the 1919 constitution
- Buchenwald Memorial
- Anna Amalia Library Rococo Hall
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Erfurt | Regional train from Weimar Hbf, about 15 min | About 45 min |
| Jena | Regional train, about 15–20 min | About 45 min |
| Buchenwald Memorial | Bus 6 from the centre, about 20 min; bus 4 also stops there at weekends | About 45 min |
| Gotha | Regional train, about 25–30 min | About 1 h |
| Leipzig | Direct long-distance train, under 1 h by car or about 1 h by train | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Altstadt around Markt and Herderplatz
- Everything on foot, 5–10 min to the museums; book early in summer and at onion-market weekend.
- Goetheplatz and Theaterplatz
- Theatre, Goethe–Schiller monument and the Russischer Hof; 10 min walk to the station.
- Near the station (north of the centre)
- Cheapest beds and the easiest bag drop; 10–15 min downhill to the Markt.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Guten TagGOO-ten tahk |
| Thank you | DankeDAN-kuh |
| Please | BitteBIT-tuh |
| How much is it? | Was kostet das?vas KOS-tet das |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kan ikh mit KAR-tuh TSAH-len |
| Where is the toilet? | Wo ist die Toilette?voh ist dee toy-LET-tuh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Firm handshake with eye contact; 'Guten Tag' or 'Hallo'; avoid: Hugs with people you have just met
- Names: Herr / Frau plus surname until invited to use first names; avoid: Using 'du' with officials or older strangers
- Punctuality: Arrive on time for tours, dinners and appointments; avoid: Being more than 5–10 minutes late without a message
- Queues and rules: Follow signs, wait at red lights, sort rubbish; avoid: Walking in cycle lanes
- Conversation: Direct and factual; people say what they mean; avoid: Taking directness as rudeness, or joking about the Nazi era
- Home visit: Bring flowers (odd number, not red roses) or wine; shoes off if the hosts do; avoid: Arriving early
- Paying: Say the total including tip as you pay; avoid: Leaving coins on the table and walking off
Scams and watch-outs
- Buchenwald is a memorial, not a sight: allow half a day, keep quiet, and note the minimum recommended age of 14.
- Many museums close on Mondays; the Liszt House closes in winter (roughly Nov 2 – Mar 20).
- The Anna Amalia Library Rococo Hall is small and timed-entry; book a slot before you travel.
- Coach groups fill the Markt and Goethe house mid-morning: go at opening or after 15:00.
Weimar is a low-risk town; the real issues are uneven cobbles, bicycles in the old town, and the emotional weight of the Buchenwald visit. Standard German rules apply: 112 for fire and ambulance, 110 for police.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Weimar yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Goethe and Schiller houses
- Bauhaus, founded here in 1919
- Weimar Republic and the 1919 constitution
- Buchenwald Memorial
- Anna Amalia Library Rococo Hall
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Weimar — official site and tourist information: www.weimar.de/
- Klassik Stiftung Weimar — museums, tickets and opening times: www.klassik-stiftung.de/en/
- Buchenwald Memorial: www.buchenwald.de/en/
- Deutsche Bahn — train connections to Weimar: www.bahn.com/en
- Wikivoyage: Weimar, revision 5295117 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5295117
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Weimar
Zu dieser Adresse, bitte
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Weimar; the US consulate-general is in Leipzig and most embassies are in Berlin (check addresses).
Tip by rounding up or adding 5–10% and saying the total as you pay.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/weimar). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.