Weißensee: Castle, Town Church and Chinese Garden
Accommodation in Weißensee
The cultural side of Weißensee is reflected in three distinct themes: the architectural history of St. Peter and Paul Town Church, the High Middle Ages architecture of Weißensee Castle, and the design of the Chinese Garden, “Garden of Eternal Happiness.” The church and castle invite visitors to explore different building phases; the garden offers a distinctive touch with a design that combines nature and built elements.
Town Church and Castle: Architectural History in Weißensee
The nave of St. Peter and Paul Town Church is Romanesque. After a town fire, the church received a Gothic choir and Gothic sacristy in 1331 through the Order of St. John. The order used it as a monastery church. The town church lies on a sightline with the castle and town hall—a special relationship between three of the town’s defining buildings.
Weißensee Castle rises above the town. Its great hall and the associated five-storey great hall tower were conceived together and completed in the late 12th century. An exceptional amount of original High Middle Ages building fabric has been preserved at the castle. Those who pay attention to architectural details will find a period column with a grapevine capital on the tour, a central feature of the visit.
Among the castle’s accessible rooms is an exceptionally rare hot-air heating system with a stone stove. Access to the interiors is available only as part of a guided tour. The castle also houses a small exhibition; check the current exhibition details before your visit. This allows you to consider architectural history, distinctive features and the exhibition as different aspects of a castle visit.
The Chinese Garden, “Garden of Eternal Happiness”
The Chinese Garden in Weißensee, which opened in 2011, is described as Germany’s largest Chinese garden. Its design combines seven elements: earth, sky, stones, water, buildings, paths and plants. This combination draws attention not only to the planting, but also incorporates architecture and the layout of the paths into the design concept.
A variety of pavilions and lush planting complete the garden’s appearance. This offers a different way to experience Weißensee than the architectural history of the church and castle: here, the focus is on a clearly defined design concept. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Weißensee, you can choose what to focus on according to your interests—such as historic architecture and the castle interiors, which are accessible only on guided tours, or the elements of the garden’s design.
More themes in the wider Sömmerda destination
The wider Sömmerda destination offers further historical highlights. In Sömmerda, the town park was established as a public town garden and opened at Pentecost in 1903. According to chronicle records, Erfurt Gate was built in 1395 as a town entrance within the existing fortifications. It was one of the first of five town gates in the town wall, which was expanded from 1589 and is well preserved thanks to continuous restoration and renovation.
Industrial history is also part of the regional offering: the Historical and Technical Museum in Sömmerda presents the town’s 200-year industrial development—from the founding of the Dreysesche Gewehrfabrik, through Rheinmetall’s production sites, to the office machine factory in the former GDR. The 91.7-kilometre Finne hiking trail offers a different experience; it is a long-distance hiking trail in Central Germany. A section can also be walked as a circular trail in the Rastenberg area.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Markvippach, Guthmannshausen, Beichlingen, Kölleda, Kindelbrück, Großrudestedt, Henschleben, Gebesee.
Go to the wider travel overview: Sömmerda.
