Top 15 Must-See Attractions in Gera, Germany

Located in Thuringia, Gera is a historical textile city nestled in the Weiße Elster River valley. The city was governed for several centuries by the House of Reuß-Gera and served as the capital of a sovereign state until 1919. The antique monuments associated with the Reuß family, including their orangery and former castle, now attract visitors.

Since the Reunification, Gera’s landscape has transformed significantly. The city’s population decline has led to the demolition of GDR-era apartment buildings in the city center, while war-damaged historical homes have been restored.

The city also hosted the Bundesgartenschau (Federal Garden Show) in 2007, enhancing its green spaces. In Germany, Gera is often referred to as Otto-Dix-Stadt, recognizing it as the birthplace of the renowned artist Otto Dix in 1891.

Here are the premier attractions in Gera:

1. Kunstsammlung Gera – Orangerie

Gera boasts a distinguished art collection housed within the splendid Baroque orangery commissioned by Count Heinrich XXV of Reuß-Gera in the late 1720s.

Positioned above recently revitalized formal gardens, this stately edifice primarily functioned as a greenhouse and orangery until the last count’s death in 1802. Following that, it served various roles over the next 160 years, including a military hospital, stables, gymnasium, café, and a museum dedicated to the labor movement during the GDR. Since 1972, the orangery has exhibited the city’s art collection, encompassing 11,000 works ranging from paintings and sculptures to prints and drawings reflecting artistic movements from the Medieval era to contemporary times.

Be sure to admire art pieces by Tintoretto, Jan van Goyen, Lucas Cranach the Elder, and Rembrandt.

2. Kunstsammlung Gera – Otto Dix Haus

Otto Dix, the renowned Objectivity painter known for his portrayals of Weimar society in the 1920s, was born in this building located in Gera’s Untermhaus area in 1891. Coming from modest beginnings as the son of a seamstress and blacksmith, Dix’s family resided in a two-room tenement within this substantial 18th-century building, which was converted into a museum in 1991. The family home reflects Dix’s working-class roots, while the museum showcases one of the largest collections of Dix’s works.

This collection encompasses 400 pieces, showcasing Dix’s evolution from his Impressionist beginnings as a schoolboy, through his wartime sketches, to his final self-portrait from 1969 with his daughter Marcella.

3. Haus Schulenburg

In 1913, textile manufacturer and art collector Paul Schulenburg commissioned Art Nouveau master Henry van de Velde to design a villa.

Van de Velde meticulously crafted every detail, and in 1919, his student Thilo Schoder created plans for an expanded garden.

This residence is considered one of van de Velde’s masterpieces, with restorations completed in 1997 encompassing the interiors, outbuildings, gardens, and courtyard.

The original materials, including stucco, fabrics, wood, and wallpaper remain intact, while the furniture and lighting fixtures align with the architect’s original vision.

Additionally, the villa features gouaches and oil paintings by artist couple Heinrich Linzen and Hilde Linzen-Gebhardt, commissioned by Paul Schulenburg.

4. Historische Geraer Höhler (Beer Cellars)

Since 1487, property owners in Gera were granted the right to brew their own beer.

This privilege led to extensive excavation beneath the streets over the following 300 years, as citizens sought additional space and ideal climatic conditions for brewing storage.

The tunnels have undergone two surveys and restorations in the 1970s and 80s, and now approximately 250 meters of tunnels operate as a museum.

Guided tours occur on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, exploring these historic vaulted passages still lined with barrels.

5. Hofwiesenpark

Gera’s largest park underwent a transformation for the 2007 Bundesgartenschau.

Adjacent to the Weiße Elster River, Hofwiesenpark spans 30 hectares, serving as a green buffer between Gera’s city center and the Untermhaus area to the west.

The park features verdant meadows, towering trees, public art installations, and flowerbeds that bloom in succession throughout spring and summer.

The park offers numerous facilities, including a café, mini-golf course, indoor pool, outdoor performance venue, roller skating rink, and a sports stadium, Stadion der Freundschaft.

Visitors in spring or summer should check for events at the Veolia stage or enjoy public festivities such as Karibische Nacht (Caribbean Night) or Lichternacht (Night of the Lights).

6. Museum für Naturkunde

Gera’s natural history museum is located in the Schreibersche Haus, a Baroque villa commissioned by a Leipzig merchant in the late 1680s.

The name is derived from the Schreiber textile family, who resided here from 1716 to 1847. This residence is notable for being the sole surviving building after the city fire of 1780. The museum showcases the natural history of Gera and East Thuringia, detailing the diverse flora and fauna in the region’s forests, meadows, rivers, and lakes.

The first floor features a historical natural history cabinet, alongside rare artifacts from Ronneburg’s uranium ore deposits.

In the cellar, guests can admire 340 spectacular minerals from around the globe, while the outdoor space includes a 19th-century botanical garden exhibiting 300 plant species.

7. Stadtmuseum Gera

The city museum is housed in an elegant Baroque hall located at Heinrichstraße 2. This edifice, established in 1739, has a storied history, originally serving as a home for orphans and individuals with mental illnesses.

During much of the 19th century, it functioned as a prison and workhouse.

The museum opened its doors in 1914 and was restored in 1956 following damage sustained during World War II.

Although the façade retains its historic Baroque characteristics, the interiors showcase modern galleries.

Exhibitions explore the compelling history of the Reuß family, along with Gera’s textile, tin, and porcelain industries.

Visitors can review an extensive photo and graphic collection along with impeccably displayed artifacts from various eras, including a preserved tram from the early 20th century.

8. Rathaus Gera

Situated in Marktplatz, Gera’s town hall, constructed in the Renaissance style in 1574, has evolved alongside the city’s growth, merging with surrounding buildings to form an ensemble of historic architecture.

At ground level, visitors can appreciate the portal, intricately carved in 1576, adorned with the Holy Roman double-headed eagle and the coats of arms of the Reuß and Solms families.

The central wooden carving on the door features a blindfolded Lady Justice.

By inquiring at the tourist information desk, visitors can access the town hall’s tower.

This provides a breathtaking view of the city center, along with a small exhibition detailing the life of the tower’s watchman, or Türmer, who resided in the quarters until 1939.

9. Marktplatz

Encircled by exquisite historical façades, the square in front of the town hall serves as an essential starting point for any exploration of Gera’s old town.

At the center lies the Simsonbrunnen, a Baroque fountain originally carved in 1686 and renovated in 1932 after suffering from weathering and storm damage. The northwest corner of the square features the municipal pharmacy from the early 17th century.

This pharmacy is distinguished by its bay window, which is adorned with two reliefs; the lower one depicting the four seasons and the upper one showcasing the coats of arms of local ruling families, interspersed with images of the apostles.

Marktplatz exudes a unique ambiance on market days, which occur on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

10. Schloss Osterstein

Perched atop the opposite bank of the Weiße Elster River lies what remains of the oldest construction in Gera.

Schloss Osterstein stands on a plateau fortified since the Bronze Age, with the castle itself originating from the 1100s and showcasing Slavic influences.

From 1550 until World War II, the property was owned by various branches of the Reuß family.

Most of the structure was devastated during the Second World War, leaving only the Romanesque keep and the Gothic Revival Wolfsbrücke intact.

The keep hosts exhibitions and serves as an observation tower, while a restaurant and children’s playground can be found on the castle’s historic terrace.

11. Marienkirche

Adjacent to the Otto Dix Haus on Mohrenplatz is a Late Gothic church dating to the mid-15th century.

Marienkirche was constructed over an earlier Romanesque church, with the chancel belonging to that original structure from 1193. Visitors can view the 15th-century altarpiece financed by local families, Kudorf and Waltheym.

The surrounding Untermhaus area was incorporated into Gera in 1919, while Mohrenplatz is adorned with fine historic buildings featuring mansard roofs, including the former guild hall at no. 3, and the lower outbuildings of Schloss Osterstein located just behind.

12. Salvatorkirche

Dominating the Nicolaiberg hill in Gera’s center is an 18th-century Baroque church, which was reconstructed following a fire.

In 1903, city councillor Adolf Marsch initiated an interior redesign, engaging Munich artist Josef Huber to craft a stunning Art Nouveau glass mosaic.

The pulpit and its accompanying stairway exhibit a similar style, featuring intricate stuccowork inspired by the Rococo period.

In the upper gallery, visitors will find one of the largest playable organs built by master organ-maker Ernst Röver, dating back to 1903 and consisting of 2,013 individual pipes.

13. Dahliengarten

Located en route to Gera’s zoo (Tierpark) and on the eastern edge of the Stadtwald, visitors can explore a vibrant dahlia garden open for exhibitions and tours during summer and autumn.

This garden is situated in a former clay pit, filled with topsoil removed from the site of the Handleshof, Gera’s first skyscraper built in 1928.

Featuring numerous dahlia varieties arranged in geometric flowerbeds, the garden was enhanced in 2006 in preparation for the Bundesgartenschau the following year.

The annual highlight is the Dahlienfest, occurring in late August or early September, allowing the public to vote for their favorite dahlia.

14. Museum für Angewandte Kunst (Applied Arts Museum)

Gera’s applied arts museum resides in a graceful historic structure.

The Ferbersche Haus, an 18th-century merchant residence, features a portal dating to 1760, although the building was redesigned and expanded following a fire in 1780. The applied arts museum opened in 1984, focusing on 20th-century and contemporary design.

The permanent collection includes ceramics by Bauhaus artists Theodor Bogler and Otto Lindig, as well as photography by Aenne Bierman.

Additionally, the museum hosts a variety of temporary exhibitions covering topics from industrial design in the GDR to Art Deco jewelry and porcelain.

15. Tierpark Gera

Situated within the natural woodland of the Stadtwald (City Forest), Gera’s zoo is home to over 500 animals, primarily native to the Northern Hemisphere and Europe.

However, it also features species from Africa, Asia, and South America, including playful Barbary monkeys living in a walk-through enclosure that encourage visitor interaction.

Other exotic animals include Chinese leopards, rheas, and llamas, while the zoo’s farm showcases regional domestic breeds such as Thuringian goats and Thuringian forest donkeys.

The park is equipped with adventure playgrounds, and young visitors can ride the miniature train, which runs on a scenic 800-meter track through the woods.

This attraction has been operational since 1975 and was initially established to train teenagers as railway operators and engineers during the GDR era.