The best events and exhibitions in Thuringia’s cultural city
Whether you want to be among the first to experience the newly reopened Weimar City Castle, celebrate two UNESCO anniversaries or simply visit the familiar Goethe Residence one last time – there is plenty to look forward to in the 2026 Theme Year “Open”. Of course, Weimar continues to attract numerous visitors to Thuringia for its well-known cultural highlights, such as the Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek and its opulent Rococo Hall, a stroll through the impressive Park on the Ilm and unusual events like the Long Night of Museums. In the following, we offer you tips on some of the amazing programmes, exhibitions and historic sites you shouldn’t miss on your visit to Weimar this year. And for those who cannot experience Weimar in person, there are exciting digital offers available!
Experience Weimar Classicism, the Bauhaus and modernism in one place, all within walking distance – perfect for an extended weekend, public holiday or inspiring cultural excursion.
In 2026 the Weimar City Castle opens its doors again after an extended closure for renovation. The ceremony and the Open House Weekend (1-4 October) mark the culmination of the Theme Year “Open”. A must-see for all cultural and architectural enthusiasts!
More information coming soon!
Experience Weimar’s museums until midnight! In addition to extended opening times, you can look forward to a diverse programme of exhibitions, concerts, guided tours and hands-on installations.
Weimar celebrates its most famous resident with free admission, readings, music and discussions – a cultural highlight and beloved tradition that takes place in late summer every year!
On International Women’s Day and the Day of Prayer and Repentance, all visitors receive free admission to the museums of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar – including tours and special programmes.
Good to know: Children under 16 always receive free admission to all museums of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar!
On 2 November 2026 the iconic residence of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe will be closing for renovation for several years. Take advantage of the coming months until autumn to pay it a last visit! The exhibition “Flood of Life – Storm of Deeds”and all other areas of the Goethe National Museum will remain open.
By the way: A farewell ceremony is planned for the weekend before the closure. More information to follow shortly!
In addition to our featured main events, the Klassik Stiftung Weimar regularly presents programmes and exhibitions that are worth a visit at every time of year.
How about taking a stroll through the Park on the Ilm or Belvedere Castle Park?
Both parks belong to the UNESCO World Heritage ensemble “Classical Weimar”, distinguished for their extraordinary and impressive park structures and enduring cultural-historic significance.
Before your visit, download our freeWeimar+ app onto your smartphone. Not only does the app contain all available museum audio guides, but also audio walks, an interactive city map and many other exciting features.
For example, on a walk through the Park on the Ilm, use the app to listen to an Ilm nymph tell stories about the surroundings and learn more about the park’s history.
In addition to a number of special events, a series of carefully curated exhibitions in Weimar await you – and there is something for every taste and interest. See our exhibition calendar for details about our current and upcoming exhibitions, exhibition partnerships and an archive of past presentations.
Did you know that it was none other than Goethe himself who laid the cornerstone for his archive? The exhibition highlights the strategies Goethe employed to cultivate his self-image, based on diary entries, correspondence, to-do lists and other personal documents.
Goethe’s literary estate has been part of the UNESCO Memory of the World programme for the past 25 years. The exhibition marks the occasion by taking a closer look at Goethe’s legacy and revealing the poet’s efforts to shape his own brand during his lifetime.
Special exhibition from 20 March – 13 December 2026 in the Goethe- und Schiller-Archiv | Free admission
Without a doubt, one of the exhibition highlights in Weimar – and not only for literature fans!
At various theme-based installations, the presentation sheds light on the astounding relevance of Goethe’s linguistic mastery and invites both young and old to become better acquainted with his unique, ambiguous work. No matter whether you’ve read Faust or not ...
Special exhibition at the Schiller Museum until 1 November 2027
What do Nietzsche, the Bauhaus and Art Nouveau have in common?
This exhibition at the Museum Neues Weimar is devoted to the avant-garde around 1900, featuring some 500 works by the pioneers of modernism, and underscores the enormous influence of “New Weimar” as a place of encounter among Europe’s cultural elite.
Our tip: Combine your visit with a stop at the Bauhaus Museum Weimar located only a short distance away. And with the ModernismCard, you can receive reduced prices on admission fees!
Permanent exhibition at the Museum Neues Weimar
Below you will find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about planning a holiday in Weimar:
There’s no question that Weimar will be forever associated with Goethe and Schiller. In Weimar you have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit both the Goethe Residenceand Schiller Residencein person and gain unique insights into the lives and working processes of these famous poets. Both residences are part of the UNESCO World Heritage ensemble “Classical Weimar”. This also includes the famous Rococo Hall of the Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, which ought to be on every tourist’s bucket list in Weimar. Its harmonious interplay of architecture, art treasures and literary works represent the order of knowledge in the world of the 18th century.
In addition to the “Classical Weimar” ensemble, the Haus Am Hornis also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the only building that the Bauhaus constructed in Weimar. It was built in 1923 for the first Bauhaus Exhibition and is considered a forerunner of modern living concepts. But make sure to book your tickets early! For conservatorial reasons, the number of visitors allowed into the model house each day is limited, and visits are only possible at fixed times. Also note that the Haus Am Horn is only open in the summer season (21 March – 1 November).
Our tip: For more information about the most important sites in Weimar, see the “TOP 10 Attractions in Weimar”to help you decide what to see during your visit.
An extended weekend is an ideal length of time for a holiday in Weimar. In two to three days, you’ll have plenty of time to visit all the important sites of Weimar Classicism and the Bauhaus in walking distance. You’ll still have enough time to treat yourself to coffee and cake at a café, try out various restaurants, go shopping through the historic city centre, and simply relax and soak up the culture.
If you can’t afford to take a whole weekend, we recommend “Weimar in a Day”. Here you can find all the information about the attractions and a sample schedule showing how to visit the most important highlights in one day on foot.
Depending on the museum, regular day tickets for adults vary between 4 and 14 euros. Discounts are offered to students (not including distance learners), persons with severe disabilities, civil service volunteers, professional trainees (vocational students) and unemployed persons. Children under 16 receive free admission.
Current ticket information for our museums and exhibitions
Before your visit, please check out our current opening timesand possible seasonal information concerning various sites. For example, several sites and locations are closed during the winter months (1 November – 20 March).
Combo tickets and discount cards
If you’re interested in visiting multiple attractions and exhibitions in Weimar, we recommend purchasing a combo ticket, such as the ModernismCard or the combo ticket for the Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek with its world-famous Rococo Hall and the exhibition “Cranach’s Torrent of Images”.
Would you like to visit the museums of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar on a regular basis, or are you looking for a special gift for a true cultural enthusiast? The “MuseumsCard”is valid for 12 months after its first use and applies to all museums, exhibitions and guided tours. You can purchase the MuseumsCard for €49 (reduced price: €29) at all museum ticket counters of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar, the Weimar Tourist Information Office and in all museum shops. Alternatively, you can order the MuseumsCard via email at besucherservice@klassik-stiftung.de.
Weimar is situated in central Germany between the cities of Erfurt and Jena, in the middle of the state of Thuringia. It takes about four hours to reach Weimar by car from Munich, Cologne or Hamburg. From Berlin, it’s only about three hours away.
The railway network in the region is well developed, and the Weimar station is serviced by regional trains, ICs (intercity rail) and ICEs (intercity express highspeed rail). You can reach Weimar from Erfurt or Jena within 15 minutes using regional trains. Regional trains from Leipzig usually take about an hour and a half to reach Weimar.
For more details, we’ve compiled further information on travelling to Weimarhere.
Many sights and attractions in Weimar are located just metres away from each other, making it very easy to visit them on foot. In other words, you won’t need a car to explore the city. Bikes are also an excellent means of getting around town, exploring the Park on the Ilm and the surrounding region via popular bike paths like the Ilm Valley Bicycle Route. City bus lines run regularly and are easy to reach.
By the way, holders of the weimar card or weimar card plus not only receive free admission to most museums and exhibitions in Weimar for 48 or 96 hours, respectively, but are also allowed to use all city busses for free. More information on the weimar card & weimar card plus
Although accessibility can be significantly limited in many historic buildings in Weimar due to monument protection guidelines, there is a wide range of (largely) accessible sites and activities available in Weimar.
The Bauhaus Museum Weimar, the Goethe National Museum & Goethe Residence, the Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, the Schiller Museum and Schiller Residenceand the Museum Neues Weimarhave all been certified by the independent initiative “Reisen Für Alle” (Travel for All). These facilities offer visitors lifts, wheelchair-accessible toilets, audio guides with induction loops, tactile maps, digital sign language tours and much more. For more details, see the respective offer in the Weimar+ app.
More information on accessibility at the Klassik Stiftung Weimar
Cosy cafés and quaint restaurants are key to a thoroughly enjoyable visit, and you will find many in streets and corners of Weimar’s historic downtown district. After visiting our museums, you can often find a variety of delicious meals, desserts and snacks on site, e.g. at Café Kunstpause in the Bauhaus Museum Weimar, Samocca Café at the Study Centre, and Café Belvedere at Belvedere Castle (open in the summer season starting in March).
Discover the full range of culinary highlights of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar.
We recommend visiting the shops at the Goethe National Museum, the Schiller Museum and the Bauhaus Stores on Frauentorstraße at the corner of the marketplace and at the Bauhaus Museum Weimar. There you will find a large selection of tasteful, high-quality souvenirs, gifts, exhibition catalogues, coffee-table books, literature, posters, cards and much more. You can freely access our museum shops without a ticket. You can also find a selected assortment of gift items at our online shop.
Take a trip to Weimar with the whole family on a public holiday! Our museums and historic sites (with the exception of the reading room at the Goethe- und Schiller-Archiv and the Study Centre) are open on the following public holidays:
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- May Day (1 May)
- Ascension
- Whit Monday
- Day of German Unity (3 Oct.)
- Reformation Day (31 Oct.)
- Children’s Day (20 Sep.)
- First and Second Christmas Day (25 and 26 Dec.)
- New Year’s Eve (31 Dec.)
- New Year’s Day (1 Jan.)
More information on public holiday opening times at the Klassik Stiftung Weimar.We look forward to your visit!
Yes! Be it class trip, company outing or surprise birthday party, the Klassik Stiftung Weimar offers guided general tours at all our museums for registered groups. Learn more about our various group programmes here.You can obtain information on prices, as well as book tickets and tours via our online group registration form. If you have any further questions about our group programmes, please send your query via email to the Visitor Service of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar.
Couldn’t find the answer to your question? We recommend reading our complete list of FAQs from our Visitor Services, containing information about our museums and historic sites of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar, the Ticketshop and more.
Projects of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar are funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Free State of Thuringia, represented by the State Chancellery of Thuringia, Department of Culture and the Arts.
