Discover Mellingen: Feininger, the Ilm and history

The Ilm, floodplains and local history

The Ilm and its floodplains shape Mellingen; today, they are used primarily as a recreational area. The river landscape is therefore as much a part of the village’s character as its architectural and artistic heritage. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can consider whether you want to focus your trip mainly on the landscape, cultural history or transport links. The features described here offer different starting points without needing to be combined into a single tour.

The history extends beyond individual buildings, too. Mellingen’s medieval castle, located on the B87, is a protected archaeological site. It is associated with the Lords of Mellingen, mentioned in 1137. Heinrichsburg also lies southeast of the village, where settlement activity dating from the Middle and Late Stone Age has been documented. These two sites point to different periods: the castle belongs to Mellingen’s medieval history, while the finds at Heinrichsburg date back much further.

The Mellingen parish church in its present form dates from 1669, when it was built from a medieval chancel tower church. Its nave was renovated between 1724 and 1730. The mayor’s office and local history museum are housed in the Malzdarre. Mellingen’s history thus encompasses early traces of settlement and medieval remains, as well as buildings and institutions that are part of the village today.

Art and traditions

The Feininger Tower is an art installation dedicated to Lyonel Feininger, designed in the style of the artist’s painting. Built on the southeastern edge of the village, it has a clearly identified location and a specific artistic connection: the 1920 painting “The Church of Mellingen”. The Feininger Cycle Route also passes by the tower. Those interested in Feininger’s work can consider the tower a destination in its own right when planning a trip; the cycle route’s connection to the tower is a separate point of visitor information.

Mellingen’s spring fair includes the so-called Kritzekrebs Market. The fair is celebrated over five days. A week later, a Frühschoppen takes place at the Malzdarre on Whit Sunday, featuring lively traditional music and hearty food prepared according to Thuringian purity standards. The market, fair and Frühschoppen represent different aspects of local tradition: the market is part of the spring fair, while the subsequent Frühschoppen is described in terms of its music and food. If local customs are important to your trip, take the festival dates mentioned into account when planning your visit.

Getting here and choosing a convenient base

Mellingen lies in the central Ilm Valley, directly by exit 50 Apolda on the A4 federal motorway. The adjacent B87 leads directly from Mellingen to Apolda and, in the opposite direction, to Bad Berka and Blankenhain. Weimar is easily reached from Mellingen via state road 2161, which connects the Weimarer Land district with the independent city of Weimar. These road links may be relevant to your choice if you are arriving by car or planning trips in the directions mentioned.

Mellingen is also connected by rail and has its own stop on the Weimar–Gera line. The journey takes 5 minutes to Weimar, 12 minutes to Jena, 29 minutes to Erfurt and 54 minutes to Gera. Mellingen can also be reached by PVG Weimarer Land bus routes 229, 253 and 255. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can therefore take different travel options and destinations into account. The journey times given provide a specific guide to the rail connections, while the bus routes offer another way to get around.

If you would like to include other places in your search, you can also find Vollersroda, Ilmtal-Weinstraße, Lehnstedt, Auerstedt, Kapellendorf, Tonndorf, Gaberndorf and Blankenhain here.

For the broader travel overview: Weimarer Land.