Meiningen: Palace, Theatre and the Werra

Palace, Old Town and Theatrical History

Bernhard I had Elisabethenburg Palace built between 1682 and 1692 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 museum displays works of painting, sculpture and decorative arts. In this way, the palace connects its ducal history with different forms of visual art.

The town church, also known as St Mary’s Church (“Our Lady”), is at the heart of Meiningen’s old town. Its towers are 50 metres high and shape the skyline of the historic town centre. Anyone interested in the history of the stage can visit the “Magic World of Stage Sets” Theatre Museum, which features a stage set about 14 metres long, as well as costumes, theatre programmes and autographs from the history of the Meiningen Theatre. The varied exhibits draw attention not only to stage sets, but also to costumes and written records.

Gardens, the Werra and Walking Routes

At the suggestion of former Duke Georg II, the English Garden was given monuments to Jean Paul, Johannes Brahms and Max Reger. Among them is the world’s first monument to Johannes Brahms. The palace park is a separate attraction: it was transformed into an English landscape garden and features an arched bridge over the Werra, designed by Eduard Fritze in 1883. The palace park lies right beside the Werra and is a starting point for leisure activities and walks.

The walking and hiking routes also offer a clear choice based on the distance you want to cover: Meiningen has more than ten routes ranging from three to twelve kilometres. Along the way, you can follow in the footsteps of Johannes Brahms, Ludwig Bechstein and Friedrich Schiller. The countryside around Meiningen lies between the Rennsteig and the Rhön and offers opportunities for hiking, cycling and leisurely paddling on the Werra. This lets you balance your interest in culture and outdoor activities in different ways when planning your holiday.

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. Combining a cave visit with a viewpoint makes for a different kind of outing than a walk around the palace and old town.

Nearby Highlights

The Sandstone and Fairy-Tale Cave is located near the destination. Covering 65,000 square metres and supported by 2,500 pillars, it is one of Europe’s largest man-made caves of its kind. It was created by underground mining of fine-grained white sand, which was used as bedding 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.

Choose the Right Focus for Your Holiday Apartment

When looking for a holiday apartment in Meiningen, it helps to start by thinking about how you want to spend your holiday: would you prefer to focus on the old town, the palace and theatrical history, or spend more time in the park, by the Werra and on outdoor routes? The routes, ranging from three to twelve kilometres, offer a practical guide without implying a particular walking time. If you’re travelling with children, you can also include the fairy-tale scenes in the show cave as a separate outing. Choose your accommodation and plan your days around the experiences that matter to you.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Wernshausen, Unterkatz, Roßdorf, Fambach, Kaltensundheim, Wallbach, Steinbach-Hallenberg, Trusetal-Laudenbach.

Back to the regional travel guide: Schmalkalden-Meiningen.