Meiningen combines a history as a ducal residence, theatre culture and paths through the countryside. Elisabethenburg Palace, the old town, the English Garden and the Werra each offer a different focus for a stay. This makes it easy to combine culture with walks, without letting any one theme define the whole visit. When looking for a hotel in Meiningen, you can start by asking yourself whether museums and theatre history or nature and outdoor activities should shape your stay.
The Residence, Old Town and Theatre
Elisabethenburg Palace was built between 1682 and 1692 under Bernhard I as the residence of the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen. Today, it is home to the Meiningen Museums and is an important cultural monument under the patronage of the Meiningen-Eisenach Cultural Foundation. The palace museum displays paintings, sculptures and applied arts. The palace thus brings together its history as a residence and several art forms under one roof.
At the heart of Meiningen’s old town stands the town church, or St Mary’s Church, “Our Lady”. Its towers are 50 metres high and give the church a distinctive place in the townscape. Those interested in Meiningen’s theatre history can explore a different cultural and historical theme at the “Magic World of Stage Sets” Theatre Museum: exhibits include a stage set about 14 metres long, costumes, theatre programmes and manuscripts from the history of Meiningen Theatre.
Garden Settings and Paths along the Werra
The English Garden features monuments to Jean Paul, Johannes Brahms and Max Reger, erected at the suggestion of former Duke Georg II. Among them is the world’s first monument to Johannes Brahms. The palace park offers another way to enjoy the outdoors: it was transformed into an English landscape garden and has an arched bridge over the Werra, designed by Eduard Fritze in 1883. Set directly on the Werra, the park is also a starting point for leisure activities and hikes.
More than ten walking and hiking routes in Meiningen range from three to twelve kilometres. Along them, you can follow in the footsteps of Johannes Brahms, Ludwig Bechstein and Friedrich Schiller. The route lengths offer a clear choice of shorter and longer walks, while the names also give the tours a cultural connection. The landscape around Meiningen can be enjoyed in different ways, too: the area lies between the Rennsteig and the Rhön and offers opportunities for hiking, cycling and leisurely paddling on the Werra.
Caves as a Separate Excursion Focus
The Goetz Cave lies above Meiningen and is considered Europe’s largest and only accessible fissure cave. After visiting the cave, you can take in the view over the town from Meiningen’s highest beer garden. This excursion brings together a natural experience and a vantage point overlooking Meiningen.
The sandstone and fairy-tale cave near Meiningen offers a different focus. Covering 65,000 square metres and supported by 2,500 pillars, it is one of the largest man-made caves of its kind in Europe. It was created by mining fine-grained white sand underground, which was used as litter and scouring sand. A visit brings the lives of the sand-mining families of the time to life. In the show cave, children can discover scenes from fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen and Ludwig Bechstein, the poet associated with Meiningen.
Discover more destinations: Unterkatz, Wallbach, Henneberg, Rosa, Bermbach, Breitungen/Werra, Vachdorf, Erbenhausen
Return to the main travel overview: Schmalkalden-Meiningen.
