Gera

Art and culture

The RE 3 or RB 4 train will take you from Gera to Greiz in 35-40 minutes. Once there, an exciting contrast of history and modern city life awaits you - so a stroll through the city should definitely be on your daily agenda. Nestled in the picturesque valley of the Weiße Elster, the town of Greiz presents itself in the splendor of bygone times with its large houses from the Wilhelminian period in historicism and Art Nouveau as well as its three castles and extensive landscaped park. In the Upper Castle, you can experience a permanent multimedia exhibition, double chapel and 3D film in a princely ambience. In addition to the permanent exhibition “From the Land of the Bailiffs to the Principality of Reuss in the Older Line”, the Lower Castle also houses a textile workshop. Regular special exhibitions round off the museum visits in both palaces. The early classicist summer palace in the princely Greizer Park houses the state collection of books and engravings with around 40,000 works from the 16th to 21st centuries.

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Greiz, ©Sebastian Theilig, Tourismusverband Vogtland e.V.

Family and leisure

You can immerse yourself in animal adventure worlds in the morning. It's a 25-minute streetcar and/or bus ride from Gera train station to Gera Zoo. Over 600 animals from around 70 different species live here on 20 hectares and are waiting to be marveled at. There is also a petting zoo, a children's playground, a park railroad and a kiosk.

You can experience underground discoveries at (after)noon. The city's public transport system will take you to the Geraer Höhler, the former beer storage facilities, in no time. The cellars spread out like a labyrinth beneath the old town. Today, ten connected caves can be discovered on guided tours. In the adjoining natural history museum, you can also see the first stalactites from the centuries-old passages, the exhibition “The basics of minerals” and much more.

The Hofwiesebad in Gera is one of the largest and most modern indoor swimming pools in Thuringia. The leisure pool can be reached on foot from the main train station in around 15 minutes, and from the Geraer Höhler you can get there in around 20 minutes on streetcars 3 and 1. The combination of sports pool and attractive leisure area with fun pool, sauna and wellness area is unique in Thuringia's pool landscape and is perfect for a relaxing end to the day.

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Gera - Naturkundemuseum der Geraer Höhler, ©Marcus Draßler, Tourismusverband Vogtland e.V.

Nature and activity

The Thuringian Sea is formed by the Saale, which is almost 80 kilometers long and has been dammed five times, as well as several reservoirs. It is the largest reservoir region in Germany and a fantastic vacation paradise. Located in the Thuringian Slate Mountains/Upper Saale Nature Park, the Thuringian Sea with its idyllic bays and fjord-like river landscapes offers plenty of space for water activities such as diving, sailing, boating and fishing. The dense forests, steep rock faces and the region's huge network of hiking and cycling trails also entice visitors with other activities. You can create a special experience by combining activities on land with water activities. Charming places, monuments and museums tell their stories and cozy restaurants invite you to stop for a bite to eat. From Gera main station, you can reach the Bleilochtalsperre dam (e.g. RE 3 or RB4, bus 810 & 610) or the Hohenwartestausee reservoir in just under 2 hours by public transport.

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Hohenwartestausee reservoir, ©Florian Trykowski, Thüringer Tourismus GmbH

Header picture: Orangery Gera, ©Marcus Dunger, Tourismusverband Vogtland e.V.