Eastern Germany at a Glance

The eastern region of Germany is immensely rich in tourist attractions. The imposing valley of the Elbe River, the beautiful lake district of Lower Brandenburg, attractive trails in the Harz Mountains of Saxony-Anhalt, the Thuringian Forest as well as the Erzgebirge and the Lusatian Mountains in Saxony all invite the visitor with their dramatic scenery and excellent recreational facilities.

Eastern Germany is rich in historic sights, too, ranging from the Baroque residences of Potsdam in Brandenburg to the grand architecture of Dresden and Leipzig in Saxony and the important cultural centre of Weimar in Thuringia. The most rewarding destinations in the region are featured here.

Naumburg Dom is a huge, well preserved Gothic cathedral, one of Germany’s greatest buildings. Splendid statues of its founders, Ekkehart and Uta, adorn the walls of the presbytery.

The Magdeburg Reite, in the market square, is the copy of one of Thuringia’s most famous sights. The identity of the rider is not certain.

Erfurt Dom dominates the townscape. A massive Gothic structure, the cathedral’s three towers were built on the Romanesque foundations of an earlier church.

Weimar, with its picturesque market square and historic buildings, was an important cultural centre for many centuries. Friedrich Schiller, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Johann Sebastian Bach all lived here.

Sanssouci in Potsdam, the enchanting Baroque summer residence built for Prussia’s King Frederick the Great, stands on the site of former gardens and vineyards.

Schloss Wörlitz is surrounded by a romantic landscaped park criss-crossed by a network of waterways open to pleasure boats.

The Völkerschlachtdenkmal in Leipzig was erected to celebrate the centenary of the battle fought by Prussia, Austria, Russia and Sweden against Napoleon’s army in 1813.

The Zwinger in Dresden, Saxony’s glorious palace and a Baroque jewel, was immaculately restored to its original glory after World War II destruction.