tourist info jena tickets

JenaKultur Kultur. Tourismus. Marketing . Ein Eigenbetrieb der Stadt Jena Knebelstraße 10 07743 Jena Jena Tourist-Information Markt 16 07743 Jena Tel. +49 3641 49-8050 Fax +49 3641 49-8055 [email protected] Teamleiterin Jena Tourist-Information Alexandra Lärz Teamleiterin Tourismusmarketing Maja Haufe Leiterin Tourismus/Convention Hemmi Eckardt Werkleitung Friedrun Vollmer Carsten Müller Jana Gründig Öffnungszeiten: Mo – Fr: 10 bis 18 Uhr Sa/Feiertage*: 10 bis 14 Uhr So: geschlossen *eingeschränkter Ticketverkauf. Geschlossen am 25./26.12., 01.01., Karfreitag und 01.05. Call-Center Mo – Fr: 11 bis 17 Uhr Sa: 10 bis 14 Uhr

• Jena Tourist-Information

Seit Oktober 2008 ist die Jena Tourist-Information prominent am historischen Markt untergebracht. Das neue Domizil selbst avanciert zu einer Sehenswürdigkeit. Eines der ältesten Häuser am Markt, der neue Jenaer Stadtspeicher, wurde liebevoll saniert und mit dem Haus Oberlauengasse 3 durch ein lichtdurchflutetes Atrium verbunden. Die eindrucksvolle Kontrastierung von Alt und Neu, wie sie auch durch die imposante Hologrammfassade von Ruairí O’Brien gelungen ist, schafft ein einzigartiges Flair. Sie kann in ihrer Hommage an Optik, Licht und Glas als Symbol für Jenas Identität gelten. In der Jena Tourist-Information finden sich alle wichtigen Informationen und Serviceleistungen, die einen Aufenthalt in Jena unvergesslich machen sollen. Die Jena Tourist-Information ist qualitätstestiert.

Information & Beratung

Die Jena Tourist-Information – Ihr Servicepartner

... für einen unvergesslichen Aufenthalt in der Wissenschaftsstadt Jena

Tickets & Gutscheine

Ticketservice der Jena Tourist-Information

Sie möchten Tickets oder Gutscheine erwerben? Oder Sie richten selbst eine Veranstaltung aus und suchen einen Vertriebspartner?

Zimmervermittlung

Unterkünfte in & um Jena

Die Jena Tourist-Information vermittelt Unterkünfte in verschiedenen Preisklassen und Ausstattungen.

Stadtrundgänge & Führungen

Jena entdecken

Lassen Sie sich von unseren zertifizierten Gästeführer:innen über Jenas Geschichte informieren.

Gruppen- & Pauschalangebote

Reisepakete

Mit unseren Pauschalangeboten erhalten Sie "Rundum-Sorglos-Pakete", welche Ihren Aufenthalt in Jena zu besonderen Erlebnissen machen.

Veranstaltungskalender

• 1 (current)

Öffentliche Stadtführung

"Jena – zwischen Historie und Hightech"

Führungen & Stadtrundgänge

Hotline +49 3641 49-8060

Ticketinformationen

• Tourismusstrategie der Lichtstadt Jena 2017 - 2025 (PDF, 6.34 MB)

Bildergalerie

Wir über uns

• Ansprechpartner
• Eigenbetrieb
• Ausschreibungen & Vergaben
• Veranstaltungen

Einrichtungen

• Ernst-Abbe-Bücherei
• Jenaer Philharmonie
• Kunstsammlung Jena
• Musik- und Kunstschule
• Romantikerhaus
• Stadtmuseum Jena
• Stadtteilzentrum LISA
• Villa Rosenthal
• Volksbad Jena
• Volkshaus Jena
• Volkshochschule Jena
• Dein Tag im Paradies
• Kein Schlussstrich! Jena und der NSU-Komplex
• KulturArena
• Lange Nacht der Museen
• Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften
• Lesemarathon
• Schranken Los!
• Tag der Stadtgeschichte

Märkte & Feste

• Thüringer Holzmarkt
• handgemacht-Tage
• Frühlingsmarkt
• Jenaer Töpfermarkt
• Altstadtfest
• Weihnachtsmarkt
• Wochenmarkt
• Stand anmelden
• Trödel- & Bunte Märkte
• Zukunftskonzept

Aufgaben & Service

• Denkmal- und Kunstförderung
• Kulturförderung
• Kulturpreise & Stipendien
• Tourismus/Convention
• Stadtgeschichtsforschung
• Kulturvereine
• Kulturticket
• Kultur für Kinder

Technische Probleme verhindern Onlinebuchung

Aus technischen Gründen sind unsere Veranstaltungen im Moment leider nicht über das Internet buchbar. Bitte versuchen Sie es zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt erneut.

Gerne können Sie sich an unsere Tickethotline 03641 49 80 60 bzw. per E-Mail an [email protected] wenden.

Wir danken für Ihr Verständnis!

Suche nach Veranstaltungen

• VERANSTALTUNGEN
• KULTURARENA
• ABSAGEN & VERLEGUNGEN
• FAQ / HILFE
• DATENSCHUTZ

Zahlen Sie bequem per Kreditkarte oder Giropay!

Wünschen Sie eine Zahlung per Vorabüberweisung, wenden Sie sich an

[email protected]

oder telefonisch an die

03641 - 49 80 60

TICKETHOTLINE

+49 3641 49-8060

• Jena Tourist–Information
• Markt 16 07743 Jena Tel. +49 3641 49-8060 [email protected]

• Zustellarten:

Treffer Entschuldigung, wir haben leider keine Ergebnisse für Sie gefunden!

${doc.title}

Jena Tourist-Information

Auf einen blick.

Tourist-Information

In der Jena Tourist-Information finden sich alle wichtigen Informationen und Serviceleistungen, die einen Aufenthalt in Jena unvergesslich machen sollen sowei ein Pop-up-Store und ein Loungebreich. Die Jena Tourist-Information ist qualitätstestiert. Seit Oktober 2008 ist die Jena Tourist-Information prominent am historischen Markt in Jena untergebracht. Das Domizil selbst avancierte schnell zu einer Sehenswürdigkeit.

Auf der Karte

Jena Tourist-Information Markt 16 07743 Jena Deutschland

Tel.: +49 (0) 3641 49-8050 E-Mail: [email protected] Webseite: www.visit-jena.de

Gut zu wissen

Was möchten sie als nächstes tun, das könnte sie auch interessieren.

Pianelli Music Store

Marktplatz Jena

Psycho-Chor der FSU Jena e. V.

Stadtspeicher Jena

Seniorenbüro der Stadt Jena

Stadtmuseum Jena

Sie benutzen offenbar den Internet Explorer von Microsoft als Webbrowser , um sich unsere Internetseite anzusehen.

Aus Gründen der Funktionalität und Sicherheit empfehlen wir dringend, einen aktuellen Webbrowser wie Firefox , Chrome , Safari , Opera oder Edge zu nutzen. Der Internet Explorer zeigt nicht alle Inhalte unserer Internetseite korrekt an und bietet nicht alle ihre Funktionen.

Sie verwenden einen veralteten Browser. Bitte aktualisieren Sie Ihren Browser damit die Seite verwendet werden kann.

Jena Tourist-Information

Markt 16, 07743 Jena

+49 3641 498050

[email protected]

Wonach suchen Sie?

Willkommen in Jena. Willkommen im Paradies. Faszinierende Landschaften, atemberaubende Aussichtspunkte und wunderbare Blicke auf und über die Lichtstadt Jena – egal ob Wandern, Radwandern oder Wasserwandern, die Stadt an der Saale ist ein Aktivtourismus-Paradies.

Entdecken Sie Ihren Lieblingsplatz

Wir freuen uns auf sie.

— Sehen & Erleben

Jena Superlative

Story lesen

— Aktiv & Natur

Wandern auf der Saalehorizontale

Vogelgezwitscher, Blätterrauschen und nichts als frische, klare Luft. Willkommen auf der SaaleHorizontale rund um Jena. Hierher kommt man, um abzuschalten, Energie zu tanken und einfach mal die Perspektive zu wechseln. Wir geben Ihnen einen kleinen Vorgeschmack.

— Reise planen

Urlaub im Paradies

Sie Fragen, Jena antwortet

F: Nach Stadtführung und Einkaufsbummel möchten wir etwas Jena-Typisches essen. Wohin gehen wir?

A: Thüringer Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut, Rinderroulade mit Rotkraut und Klößen – das sind die Klassiker. Mehrere Restaurants in der Innenstadt bieten die Gerichte an, beispielsweise der Schwarze Bär oder Zur Noll. Wer es weniger deftig mag, wird ebenfalls fündig. Die vegetarische und vegane Küche kommt in Jena nicht zu kurz.

Jena ist die wichtigste Schiller-Stadt Deutschlands.

Rauf aufs Rad und los!

Jena ist ein Paradies für Radfahrer. Ob entspanntes Radeln entlang der Saale oder Ausflüge ins Umland – die gut ausgebauten Radwege laden zu aktiver Erholung ein.

Führung über den Johannisfriedhof

Themenführung

Efeu bewachsene Gräber, riesige, alte Laubbäume und breit angelegte Alleen - eine Oase der Stille nahe dem Stadtzentrum.

JENA CARD – Ihr Erlebnisticket!

Entdecken Sie Jena, ob Sie Gast unserer Stadt sind oder hier leben! Die JenaCard eignet sich auch bestens als Geschenk für Freunde, Verwandte, Geschäftspartner und Firmenkunden.

• Erlebnisticket für mehr als 30 Entdeckungen  - in 48 h
• Jenaer Nahverkehr  - 48 Stunden kostenfreie Nutzung von Straßenbahn und Bus

Cookie Notice

Wir verwenden Cookies, um ein optimales Website-Erlebnis zu bieten. Sie entscheiden, welche Sie zulassen möchten. Je nach Einstellung stehen Ihnen aber womöglich nicht alle Funktionalitäten zur Verfügung. Datenschutzhinweise  & Impressum .

Privacy settings

Here you will find an overview of the types of cookies used on the website. You can set your consent for each category individually. Further information can be found in the privacy policy .

• Essential Cookies For the use of the website with all functions (e.g. user settings, watch lists, etc.)
• Statistics Statistics Cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website.
• Marketing In order to provide you with the best possible offer in cooperation with our partners, we use marketing tools. For example, in order to use our chatbot, you must activate this setting.
• External contents Required for viewing external media and third-party content. The provider may set cookies for its part. The respective data protection regulations of the provider apply.
• Inspiring Germany

Cities & Culture

• Nature & Outdoor Activities
• Royal Palaces & Castles
• Experience & Enjoy
• Current highlights
• Sustainable travel
• Barrier-free travel
• Easy language
• Federal states

Jena: a beautiful blend of nature, history and technology

As a City of Science, Jena offers a remarkable combination of industrial and intellectual heritage, research, innovation and academia. This is as evident in its institutions and universities as it is in the traditional bars in the wonderful Old Town.

Research and enterprise cemented Jena's status as a centre of science and learning, so it's no wonder that the city boasts various exceptional museums: the Optical Museum and the Schott Glass Museum, dedicated to the life and legacy of Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbe, play a leading role in the fields of science and technology. The city is also home to fascinating museums of literature and art history, including the Kunsthof Jena gallery, as well as architectural monuments associated with big names, including the Zeiss planetarium that first opened in 1926.

Zeiss Planetarium

Jena's idyllic setting in the Saale Valley, ringed by steep limestone cliffs, was not lost on Goethe, who spent a total of five years in the city. Fellow writer Friedrich Schiller lived in Jena for twice that time. Near his summer house on Schillergässchen, the oval stone table where he often sat with Goethe remains in the garden to this day. The pretty streets of the Old Town, scattered with cafés, restaurants and shops, are the centre of social, student and literary life here. You can even still see some of the Seven Wonders of Jena here, such as the ornamental astronomical clock on the Town Hall and the Draco. Dating back to around 1600, this terrifying dragon with seven heads is thought to represent a board of examiners at the university, which was founded in 1558.

Discover more

Romantic advent: christmas cookies, advent calendars, saint nicholas and christmas markets, cycle paths that make your heart beat faster, jewish life in germany, welcome to the land of hiking - germany, cities doubling up as film sets, opera in germany: great art on more than 80 stages, explore the surroundings.

• Gebärdensprache
• Leichte Sprache
• Deutsch English French Spanish Portuguese, Portugal Dutch Italian Polish Russian Chinese, Vereinfacht Ukrainian

• Hund abmelden
• Jägerlehrgang / Ausbildung zum Jäger / Jagdschein
• Online-Services
• Online-Termin

Tickets für Veranstaltungen kaufen

Hier finden Sie alle wichtigen Informationen und Links zum Erwerb von Eintrittskarten für verschiedene Veranstaltungen über die Jena Tourist-Information.

Sie haben eine passende Veranstaltung gefunden und möchten nun Tickets oder Gutscheine erwerben?

In der Jena Tourist-Information können Sie Eintrittskarten für regionale und überregionale Veranstaltungen, aber auch JenaKultur-Veranstaltungen erhalten. Über das Ticketportal von JenaKultur können Sie auch Tickets online kaufen.

Können Sie sich noch nicht auf eine bestimmte Veranstaltung festlegen?

Dann kaufen Sie einen Gutschein, den Sie verschenken oder zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt selbst in der Jena Tourist-Information für Tickets, Souvenirs, Bücher, Stadtführungen und vieles mehr einlösen können.

Jena Tourist-Information

Markt 16 07743 Jena Deutschland

• Ticketservice der Jena Tourist-Information
• Ticketportal der Jena Tourist-Information

Jena – Welcome to Paradise

The large city to the south-east of weimarer land.

Jena, they say, is the richest city in the East. Rich in landscape and big-city feeling is probably best meant.

The picturesque shell limestone cliffs and the river Saale on the one hand, and the city with its famous university, research centres and the young bustle everywhere in the city on the other, have already persuaded some who have moved away to return. Basically, much of what there is to explore in Jena is just around the corner and thus easy to reach on foot. Of course, you can also see everything from above from the JenTower:

• the Zeiss-Planetarium
• the Botanical Garden
• the Schiller House
• das Phyletische Museum

If you get involved in the multifaceted history of the city, it can take a while. For the intellectual world of Jena is so exciting, even captivating. A guided tour of the city or an excursion on the SaaleHorizontale, which leads around the city with a high-altitude view of the surrounding area, could be an introduction. But beware, the saying among Jena residents is: “Either you just drive by, or you let yourself in and stay forever.”

JenTower – „biscuit roll“ with viewing plattform

With a height of 159 m and a mirror facade, the JenTower shapes the cityscape like no other building. On a viewing platform of the jokingly named biscuit roll at a height of 128 m you can enjoy the magnificent view over the city and the Jena shell limestone rocks.

Zeiss-Planetarium Jena

The world’s longest-serving projection planetarium shows fantastic educational and entertainment programmes for all those who like to look upwards, thanks to state-of-the-art laser full-dome projection. In the cosy armchair under the dome, you can calmly and serenely lose your footing, accompanied by 3D worlds and animations. More than 9,000 stars can be observed under the 25-metre planetarium dome.

German Optical Museum

This is a centre of optics. The museum tells a modern and vivid story about light and how it can be captured. The starting point of this tradition is the historic Zeiss workshop from 1866, which offers a glimpse of optical instruments from the past to the most modern equipment used in space exploration today. Currently, the museum is being given a new lease of life. The reopening is planned for 2023. We are excited.

Phyletic Museum Jena

The museum, founded by Ernst Haeckel in 1907, deals with the phylogeny of animals and humans in all its facets through permanent and special exhibitions. The special exhibitions are devoted to current topics related to evolution, but also to aesthetic and artistic or socially relevant themes. It is also a natural history research museum, with a collection of over 500,000 specimens, such as:

• extinct animals
• many species of birds and mammals

City Museum & Art Collection of the City of Jena

The Jena City Museum is housed in a late Gothic building on the north side of the market square. A variety of exhibitions show the facets of Jena’s city history.

The Jena Art Collection has a considerable stock of about 8000 works, especially from the 20th century, which are selectively included in the exhibition programme. The special exhibitions on classical modern art and contemporary art repeatedly prove to be crowd pullers.

City wall ensemble with Johannistor and Powder Tower

The medieval city wall ensemble with the two distinctive towers Johannistor and Pulverturm is still an impressive testimony to the city’s historical fortifications.

At that time it consisted of 12 m high and 2 km long walls with battlements, ditches, gates and flanking towers. A view of the city centre and Jena’s picturesque surroundings from the towers is well worth it!

Further information at www.visit-jena.de

Events at  www.jena-veranstaltungen.de

Jena Tourist-Information Informationen, Tickets, Souvenirs

Markt 16 07743 Jena

Things to see in Jena

Powder Tower Jena

JenTower with viewing platform

Optical Museum Jena

City Museum Jena

Zeiss Planetarium Jena

< to the overview of all cities

Wie hat es Ihnen bei uns gefallen?

Wir hoffen, sie hatten eine gute zeit im weimarer land. wir würden uns freuen, wenn sie ihre eindrücke mit uns teilen und uns so helfen, unser vor-ort-angebot noch besser an ihre wünsche anzupassen..

Wir würden uns freuen, wenn Sie Ihre Eindrücke mit uns teilen und uns so helfen, unser Vor-Ort-Angebot noch besser an Ihre Wünsche anzupassen.

Jena: Welcome to paradise

Homepage > States > Thuringia > Jena: Welcome to paradise

Lots of greenery and short distances. Colorful student life, culture and restaurants. Surrounded by a relaxing environment with two beautiful long-distance bike paths - the Saaleradweg and the Thüringer Städtekette. For those who are on the road here, a detour through paradise directly into the center of Jena is obligatory!

The javelin thrower and Olympic champion Thomas Röhler from Jenens is on the road all over the world. Challenges await him everywhere, and everywhere is beautiful, exciting and interesting. But the competitive athlete only wants to live in one place - his hometown of Jena.

Out, up and away on the SaaleHorizontale !

"Just turn off your cell phone, enjoy the moment, get your adrenaline down." That's the great thing about Jena: nature is always just 15 minutes away! Thomas Röhler appreciates this unique quality of life so much about his city. His favorite destination is the SaaleHorizontale, a hiking trail that leads across the shell limestone slopes around Jena. A short trip out of the city and up into the heights - that's how quickly you can relax! After a short time, you're back in the bustling center, and everyday life can continue. Thereby the SaaleHorizontale never boring. Once you're out and about, you'll always discover new opportunities and photo spots, whether you're just walking for an hour or taking a ten-hour hiking tour.

The magnificent views of the city and the surrounding villages, the Saale valley, Fuchsturm or Jenzig inspire every time anew. By the way, the best view of Jena is from the Landgrafen, a mountain restaurant where you can also eat wonderfully, at eye level with the JenTower. So what are you waiting for? Let's get out, climb up and go!

Welcome to the fantastic world of galaxies, stars and planets

If it's raining in Jena, that's no reason to despair, but a welcome reason to visit a particularly exciting attraction, the Zeiss Planetarium Jena: Here you embark on a journey into the distant worlds of planets, stars and galaxies, and with technical possibilities that others can only dream of... By the way, the Zeiss Planetarium Jena is a hot tip even in good weather!

The Botanical Garden, a green oasis in the center

For plant lovers and nature lovers, the Botanical Garden is a must. What all grows, blooms and thrives here in the middle of the city center! In the Victoria House, for example, the most beautiful colorful butterflies flutter and delight young and old. And in the fascinating park, with its alpine nursery and areas for tropical, useful and medicinal plants, every specialty has its own area and its own charm.

The Jena Botanical Garden is the second oldest in Germany. It was founded in 1586 as a medicinal herb garden, but it owes its present form to Goethe's involvement. The leaves of the more than 200-year-old ginkgo, a "contemporary" of Goethe's, glow brilliant yellow in the fall, recalling the master's botanical work. But there is much more to see! Around 10,000 plant species grow on an area of 4.5 hectares, making the garden a wonderful retreat for stressed office workers, botanically interested people and tourists seeking relaxation - and all this in the middle of Jena's lively city center.

More information about Jena can be found here

Cover photo: About 110,000 people live in Jena © JenaKultur, Photo: A. Gräf

More articles from Thuringia

The blue side of the forest: hiking through thuringia on the trail of water.

This region holds fabulous surprises for hikers. Especially for those who like to be by the water. Why? Because Thuringia is a ...

Enjoyment on the mountain - the most beautiful huts in the Thuringian Forest

There can be only one thought after hours of hiking in the Thuringian nature: where can I find a cozy hut that ...

Jena - City of Light

It is nestled between the green shell limestone slopes directly on the Saale River and, with 110,000 inhabitants, is second only to the state capital Erfurt ...

5 special places in Eisenach

A trip to Eisenach is always a trip into the past: minnesingers from the Middle Ages and world-famous composers like ...

The sound of the Rennsteig

When hiking on the famous long-distance hiking trail in Thuringia, it takes a while before you hear that, for a change, you ...

The 5 most beautiful hiking trails in Thuringia

Hiking clears the mind. It's good for the soul and the body - and that's been scientifically proven. Who wants to ...

Thuringia can sea

Those who want to combine water sports with relaxing hiking trails and interesting bike tours will be thrilled by the largest contiguous reservoir area in Europe. Three ...

Nature meets culture

May we introduce? The thick trunks of the ancient beeches are like the supporting columns in a great cathedral. The canopy ...

The Hainich National Park - a place of pleasure and a World Heritage Site

In the middle of Germany, easily accessible from the surrounding cities of Mühlhausen, Eisenach and Bad Langensalza, lies the Hainich National Park. What ...

You want to go already?

Follow us on Instagram , Facebook and Pinterest for the best tips for your vacation in Germany.

Don't miss anything from Germany

Sign up now..

Yes, I would like to receive the Entdecke Deutschland newsletter with tips, reports and competitions on vacations in my own country. We provide information on the revocation, the processing of data and the measurement of success in our Privacy policy .

I would like to receive your newsletter and accept the privacy policy.

We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential, while others help us improve this website and your experience. If you are under 16 and wish to give consent to optional services, you must ask your legal guardians for permission. We use cookies and other technologies on our website. Some of them are essential, while others help us to improve this website and your experience. Personal data may be processed (e.g. IP addresses), for example for personalized ads and content or ad and content measurement. You can find more information about the use of your data in our privacy policy . You can revoke or adjust your selection at any time under Settings .

• External media

Accept only essential cookies

Individual privacy settings

Cookie details Privacy policy Imprint

If you are under 16 and wish to give consent to optional services, you must ask your legal guardians for permission. We use cookies and other technologies on our website. Some of them are essential, while others help us to improve this website and your experience. Personal data may be processed (e.g. IP addresses), for example for personalized ads and content or ad and content measurement. You can find more information about the use of your data in our privacy policy . Here you can find an overview of all cookies used. You can give your consent to entire categories or view more information and thus select only certain cookies.

All accept Save Accept only essential cookies

Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper functioning of the website.

Show cookie information Hide cookie information

Statistics Cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how our visitors use our website.

Content from video platforms and social media platforms is blocked by default. If cookies from external media are accepted, access to this content no longer requires manual consent.

Privacy policy Imprint

Things to Do in Jena, Germany - Jena Attractions

Things to do in jena, tours near jena.

Weimar - Private Historic Walking Tour

Stadtspiel scavenger hunt Weimar - independent city tour I discovery tour

City game scavenger hunt Erfurt - independent city tour I discovery tour

Private City Leipzig Tour

Leipzig's Communist Past: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Leipzig Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide

first electrical carriage in town - guided City Tours - Leipzig

Leipzig private tour - Half day

Leipzig Like a Local: Customized Private Tour

Private AR-Ghost Hunt across the old cemetery "Friedenspark"

Top attractions in jena.

Other Top Attractions around Jena

What travelers are saying

• Zeiss-Planetarium
• Botanischer Garten
• Schillers Gartenhaus
• Burgruine Lobdeburg
• Südbad/Schleichersee
• Spielplatz Zeitzer Strasse Jena Nord
• Saurierpfad

Sie verwenden einen veralteten Browser. Bitte aktualisieren Sie Ihren Browser damit die Seite verwendet werden kann.

Jena Tourist-Information

Markt 16, 07743 Jena

+49 3641 498050

[email protected]

Wonach suchen Sie?

„In Jene lebt sich’s bene, und in Jena lebt sich’s gut.“ So lautet ein Studentenlied aus dem Jahr 1850, dessen Inhalt nicht aktueller sein könnte. Welche spannenden Geschichten und Themen Jena sonst noch zu bieten hat, können Sie im Rahmen einer unserer öffentlichen Stadtführungen erfahren.

©JenaKultur, T.Zippel

Mehrmals in der Woche bieten wir unseren Gästen öffentliche Stadtführungen zu dem Thema „Jena – Zwischen Historie und Hightech“ an. Eine wunderbare Möglichkeit, um sich einen Überblick über all die Sehenswürdigkeiten und die Geschichte(n) zu machen, die Jena zu bieten hat.

Aber was ist mit besonderen Geschichten, die unsere Lichtstadt ausmachen und geprägt haben? Regelmäßig bieten wir auch unsere thematischen Stadtführungen oder unsere Kostümführungen als öffentliche Stadtrundgänge an.

Unsere Stadtführungen können auch als private Gruppenführung für Ihre Familienfeier, Tagung oder Jubiläum gebucht werden.

Alle Termine finden Sie auch in unserem Veranstaltungskalender .

Kontakt jena tourist-information.

Informationen und Tickets Markt 16 07743 Jena +49 3641 498050 E-Mail schreiben

Sightseeing in Jena

The importance of jena.

After Erfurt Jena is the second largest city in the state of Thuringia. The university city located on the banks of the river Saale can look back upon a rich cultural heritage of which numerous monuments and sights authenticate. In addition memorable figures of history like Friedrich Schiller, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Georg Friedrich Hegel or Johann Gottlieb Fichte have left their marks in Jena.

Additionally, the “Urburschenschaft” (= original German student league) has been established here, whose members shaped the path to German Unification in the 19 th century substantially.

At Jena´s Friedrich Schiller University a great number of important personalities have received their education. Additionally to an intellectual hub of poetry and philosophy, the city protrudes due to its lovely surrounding Saaletal landscape and moreover because of it being also a hub for Optical and IT Industry – names such as Carl Zeiss, Ernst Abbe and Ernst Haeckel and companies like Jenapharm, Schott or Intershop are inseparable from Jena. The following shall serve you as an overview of what to discover in Jena.

Highlights worth seeing

Despite its proximity to Erfurt, Eisenach or Weimar Jena mustn´t shy away when it comes to noteworthy attractions. In this guide you will find a number of highlights within the city limits and the surrounding area, as well as an overview of what to expect from the self-proclaimed “City of Lights” of Germany´s East. Some sights you may reach by car, a hike , by bike or by using our Hotel’s chauffeur service . But most sights located within the city limits are accessible on foot.

A Tour through downtown Jena

You are staying at the Schwarzer Bär ? Perfect, because all sights located within in the city limits are within close proximity. In the following we provide you with a recommended route to take through Jena´s downtown area to give you the chance to discover Jena on your own.

From the Market square to Saint Michael´s Church

Est. 300 m southwest from the Schwarzer Bär the market square is located and at its center the monument of Johann Friedrich “Hanfried” the Kurfürst (= elector) who laid the foundation stone of the city´s University in 1558. Here you can also find the Tourist Information, the historic city hall and the city museum. Directly north to the market square you can visit Saint Michael´s Church. Especially worth visiting due to its containing bronze grave plate of Martin Luther. Noteworthy: The grave plate at Wittenberg is a copy. The original is located at Saint Michael´s Church in Jena.

The monument of „Hanfried“ at the market square

Worm’s eye view on the JenTower

The JenTower and its surroundings

200 m further West you have the chance to see Jena from the observation deck of the JenTower – humorously called “Keksrolle” (= Cookie Roll) by Jena´s inhabitants.

With a total height of 160 m the JenTower is East Germany´s tallest building since the 1970s.

Directly next to the JenTower you may spot the “Johannistor” , the last remnants of the medieval city wall. The “Haus auf der Mauer” (literally: “House on the Wall) mounted onto the wall itself often hosts cultural events. The “Anatomieturm” (= Anatomy Tower) within viewing distance was a historic research facility of Goethe who also discovered the human intermaxillary bone here.

From the University Campus to the Theatre

South of the JenTower you will find the main campus of the Friedrich Schiller University (FSU) . The campus is circled by numerous high-rise buildings which might not be as tall as the JenTower, but are some of the oldest tower buildings in Germany.

Further South you will encounter the Goethe-Gallerie a Shopping Mall. From the main entrance of the Mall you can already glimpse the red façade of Jena´s Theatre Building where you can go out to see great shows and performances. On the theatre area the annual Kulturarena takes place.

Additional attractions: The “Schwarze Bär” and its proximity

Directly across the Hotel & Restaurant Schwarzer Bär – a historic attraction by itself –   lies the historic University´s main building. On the right hand side of the Hotel´s main entrance along the Fürstengraben avenue – which is lined by several monuments of famous graduates and lecturers – heading west you will reach the Botanic Garden after approximately 300 m. There you can admire the 12.000 different plants on an area of 4.5 ha in green houses and the open. Immediately next to it you will have the Carl-Zeiss Planetarium -THE oldest Planetarium on earth – opened in 1926 .

Its highly informative projector shows with musical accompaniment are something not to miss when staying in Jena.

The “Schwarze Bär” – a Jena contemporary document –

This Hotel being – one of the oldest still existing Guesthouses – is indispensable regarding Jena´s historical heritage. Firstly mentioned in historic texts in 1498, it has seen a great number of famous guests sleeping underneath its roof and dine at its tables . One of the first being the reformator Martin Luther, the great poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , literature nobel prize winner Gerhart Hauptmann, the first German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck or the composer Wilhelm Furtwängler .

But also with students, locals, national and international guests “the Bear” is an institution all along.

The “Schwarzer Bär” – a Jena contemporary document

Museums in Jena

Jena can proudly look upon a wide range of museums. Regarding this we want to provide you with an excerpt of museums worth visiting. Except from the “Museum 1806” all mentioned museums are reachable within a proximity of less than 1 km from the hotel .

The “Napoleonstein” in Jena-Cospeda

German Optical Museum

This great museum emphasizes on the history of Optics from the beginning to present day. Equally fitting for children and grownups alike. The science behind optics and lighting are being displayed in a playful manner.

Museum 1806

Beyond the city center on the elevation of the district Cospeda lies a museum for all history enthusiasts adjacent to the battlefield where Napoleon´s French Troops fought against Prussians and Saxons. There you will find all information including original exhibits of this significant battle during the Napoleonic Era. Battlefield and museum lie on the plateau overviewing the city which our sporty guests can also access by bike or hike .

Phyletic Museum

This highly interesting museum of prehistory, founded by Ernst Haeckel, comprises a collection of natural history as well as an fascinating exhibition of the development of life. The museum stands out due to its anatomical and zoological collection of various lifeforms.

Romantikerhaus Jena

Within the walls of the former residential house of the philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte, the permanent exhibition illustrates the cultural and intellectual history of the city. Special attention is given to the “Althenaeum”, published by the Schlegel brothers, an 18 th Century magazine that established Jena as Germany´s intellectual center. Additionally switching exhibitions and small presentations take place there.

City Museum & Art Collection of Jena

The city museum, located directly at the market square, will give you an insight into the rich art collection of Jena next to historic exhibits of the city. But you can come across switching exhibitions subjecting modern art as well. The building itself originated from the 13th century and has seen itself in many roles such as wine restaurant, mill and residential house.

Schillers Gardenhouse

There is no other place where the great poet and academic Friedrich Schiller has spent more of his lifetime than Jena. More than 10 years he worked and taught here – no wonder the University of Jena holds the name of its most famous lecturer. In the garden house next to the city theatre he spent numerous summers. The property has – despite its location – a calm garden area as well as a contemporary interior design. Here the great poet let himself inspire more than once when creating his world literature.

Are you curious?

Gladly we will provide you with further information about cultural highlights and sights in and around Jena at our reception and support you with anything needed regarding transportation or visitation.

The Schwarzer Bär Team is looking forward to hosting you!

You are a guest of the “Schwarzer Bär” and have questions about Jena?

• 1.1 Academics
• 1.2 Napoleon
• 1.3 Optical and high-tech manufacture
• 2.1 By plane
• 2.2 By train
• 3 Get around
• 7.1 Street food
• 7.3 Mid-range
• 7.4 Splurge
• 9.2 Mid-range
• 9.3 Splurge
• 10 Stay safe

Jena is a city in the central German state of Thuringia (Thüringen) . It is a centre of science and technology with a reputable university, several research institutes and high-tech plants, especially focusing on precision mechanics and optical industries. About a fourth of the population are students.

Understand [ edit ]

Jena (pronounced yay-nah ) has probably existed since at least the 9th century AD and became a town around 1230. Part of the State of Thuringia from its foundation in 1920 on, it was incorporated into the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) in 1949 and its district of Gera in 1952. Since 1990, the city of Jena has again been a part of reunited Germany's state of Thuringia.

Academics [ edit ]

Jena has the biggest university in Thuringia and its ratio of students to the total of inhabitants is one of the highest in Germany, as there are 20,000 students at the university which was founded in 1558 and named after Friedrich Schiller in 1934. Additionally, there are some 4,500 students at the university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) , making one out of four citizens of Jena a student.

In early modern times, there was a fix canon of sights—the Seven Wonders of Jena, or septem miracula Jenae in Latin—that each student in Jena was expected to visit and remember. Being able to identify and recite the Seven Wonders in the correct order was considered a proof that someone had indeed studied at Jena: Ara ("arch"—the underpass below the altar of St Michael's church), Caput ("head"—the mechanically moving figure head above the astronomical clock at the townhall), Draco ("dragon"—a seven-headed chimera made as a student joke of animal bones and papier-mâché), Mons ("mountain"—the 385 metre-high Jenzig hill northeast of the town), Pons ("bridge"—the nine-arched old stone bridge Camsdorfer Brücke over the Saale), Vulpecula Turris ("fox tower"— Fuchsturm , a high-medieval donjon on a hilltop east of Jena), Weigeliana Domus ("Weigel's house"— das Weigelsche Haus , built for a 17th-century professor of mathematics with many technical refinements that were considered ahead of the time, like a wine conduit from the cellar to the dining room, a mechanical lift and long tubes for the observation of stars). Five of the wonders are still extant, while the bridge and Weigel's house are lost.

Johann Wolfgang Goethe and Friedrich Schiller , probably the two greatest German writers, lived in Jena for a few years (though their residence in Weimar is much more well known). Around 1800, Jena was the birthplace of German idealist philosophy (developed by Johann Gottlieb Fichte and Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling) and early romantic literature ("Jena Romanticism", created by authors like Novalis, Friedrich and Wilhelm Schlegel). Other famous citizens of Jena include the biologist Ernst Haeckel, the physicists Ernst Abbe and Erwin Schrödinger. The philosopher and communist thinker Karl Marx obtained his Ph.D. from Jena University (because it was one of the few at that time to accept dissertations written in German instead of Latin) without ever attending a course there.

Napoleon [ edit ]

In 1806, Jena and the village of Auerstädt (25 km north of the city) were the sites of a decisive battle in the War of the Fourth Coalition ( Napoleon's war against Prussia), involving more than 220,000 soldiers. One of the most known bridges over the Seine and a boulevard in the 16th arrondissement of Paris are named after Jena in memory of this French victory: Pont d'Iéna and Avenue d'Iéna.

Optical and high-tech manufacture [ edit ]

Jena is also famous for Carl Zeiss , an optical and precision engineering company founded in 1846, and the Schott hightech glass factories founded in 1884. Both have long been leading players of their respective sectors and exporting worldwide. "Jenaer Glas" is a brand of refractory and chemically resistant glass developed by Otto Schott in 1887. Under the management of socially-minded Ernst Abbe, the Zeiss works (and likewise Schott) provided their employees with quite far-reaching social security and benefits, like pension funds and eight-hour days, that were considered radically modern in the 19th century. This generated a very high identification of workers with their respective company and made Jena a forerunner of Germany's "social market economy". In 1942 Jena was the first site to produce penicillin on an industrial scale, leading to the establishment of the pharmaceutical company Jenapharm . Both Schott's and Carl Zeiss' plants were nationalised in communist East Germany after 1945, while the seat of the respective corporation was moved to capitalist West Germany (establishing new production sites under the traditional names in Mainz and the Swabian Mountains , respectively).

The former nationally-owned factories of Schott and Carl Zeiss were (partially) reunited with their Western counterparts after the end of Cold War, but their executives are still based in (South-)Western Germany rather than moving back to Jena. Some branches of Carl Zeiss Jena have however been outsourced as an independent company called Jenoptik with headquarters in Jena, that has become a renowned producer of laser technology and optical instruments, as well. Similarly, Analytik Jena has specialised on (bio-)analytical instruments. The overall number of workers drastically declined after reunification. Nevertheless, Jena has attracted considerable investments into its manufactories and research institutes and is now considered one of the economically most successful cities of former East Germany, well keeping up with the times. Carl Zeiss Meditec, a Carl Zeiss subsidiary producing medical technology like surgical microscopes or instruments for eye exams, is headquartered in Jena since 2002, being one of four listed companies based in this city (and one of the highest-grossing).

Get in [ edit ]

By plane [ edit ].

There are two small airports in Altenburg (east of Jena) and Erfurt (west of Jena), but the former has no scheduled passenger traffic while the latter is only used by charter flights to Mediterranean holiday destinations.

Coming from far away you will most probably arrive at Frankfurt airport . From there you can either take the ICE high-speed train to Erfurt and then change to a regional train going to Jena (c. 3:15 hours in total), or you can go by car via Autobahn A5 and A4 straight towards Jena. This is approx. 300 km (about three hours during average traffic).

By train [ edit ]

Since the completion of the Leipzig/Halle–Erfurt–Nuremberg high-speed route, Jena is bypassed by most ICE and intercity trains. Once a day each, there is an ICE high-speed train from Hamburg (4 hr 20 min) via Berlin (2½ hr) and an intercity from Stuttgart (almost 5 hr) via Nuremberg (2½ hr). Both of them also stop in Leipzig (1 hr 10 min). Otherwise, you will have to change from high-speed to regional trains either in Erfurt (half-hourly regional trains to Jena, taking half an hour), in Halle (two-hourly, 1 hour) or Leipzig (two-hourly, 1 hr 25 min).

All trains from Erfurt also stop in Weimar from where it takes only a 15 minutes ride to Jena. Morever Jena is served by hourly regional express trains from Gera (half hour) and two-hourly from Göttingen (2 hr 10 min) via Gotha (50 min), from Altenburg (1 hr 20 min) or from Glauchau near Chemnitz (1½ hr).

The city's main station is called 50.925 11.587778 1 Paradies-Bahnhof ( literally "paradise station", as the surrounding park is called Paradies ).  

Regional trains from Erfurt, Weimar or Gera arrive at 50.923333 11.578056 2 West-Bahnhof ( Western station ).  

By car [ edit ]

Jena is not far from the Hermsdorfer Kreuz where the A9 (E49/E51) from Berlin to Munich and the A4 (E40) from Frankfurt to Dresden cross. Just take the way towards Erfurt/Frankfurt and you will reach Jena within minutes.

Get around [ edit ]

You can reach all important destinations by walking. You can also use public transportation (buses and trams), but it is not cheap in Jena. Details at Jenaer Nahverkehr GmbH .

See [ edit ]

• 50.928472 11.588278 2 Göhre ( Stadtmuseum—Museum of local history ), Markt 7 , ☏ +49 3641 498261 . Tu W F 10:00-17:00, Th 15:00-22:00, Sa Su 11:00-18:00, closed on Mondays . Located in a historical building whose foundations date from the 13th century but was completely rebuilt in a Gothic revival style around 1900, then serving as a wine shop and wine bar. The museum illustrates the history of Jena from pre-history to the 19th century on four levels. The exhibits include a seven-headed "dragon" modelled from animal bones and papier-mâché by students in early 17th century that was considered one of the "Seven Wonders" of Jena. ( updated Nov 2016 )

• 50.932445 11.600409 5 Schillerkirche , Schlippenstraße 32 ( East Jena (Wenigenjena), Tram 2, 3, 33 "Schlippenstraße" ). Protestant one-aisled church from the 14th to 15th century, actually dedicated to Our Lady (Mary) but renamed after Friedrich and Charlotte von Schiller who married here in 1790. ( updated Nov 2016 )

• Paradies ( close to the centre of Jena ). Nice park, especially in the summer a lot of students use this park for barbecue and hanging out with their friends.  

Jena is surrounded by hills. Hence there are a lot of very nice opportunities to get a beautiful panorama view of the town. From the towers or the restaurants Wilhelmshöhe and Landgrafen.

Do [ edit ]

Events [ edit ]

• Kulturarena : . A very popular summer cultural event in July-August with dozens of good international artists and entertainers.  (date needs fixing)

Buy [ edit ]

Take a look at GoetheGalerie or Neue Mitte. Here you can find almost anything you need. Another places for shopping are the shopping centres Burgaupark and Schillerpassage.

• 50.928841 11.584191 2 Neue Mitte , Leutragraben 1 , ☏ +49 3641 208000 . M-Sa 8ː00-20ː00, Su closed . Large shopping mall.  

Eat [ edit ]

As Jena is a student town and a town in the east of Germany, prices are slightly lower than in Western Germany.

Thuringian specialties are: Thüringer Rostbratwurst (Thuringian roaster sausage), Rostbrätel (roasted meat). These can be found at the Grillteufel food stalls.

Street food [ edit ]

• 50.927557 11.58301 1 Grillteufel Goethe Galerie , Schillerstraße . ( updated Sep 2022 )

Budget [ edit ]

All these are in the city centre:

• 50.929753 11.585576 2 Café Immergrün , Jenergasse 6 . A very pleasant place with student atmosphere. ( updated Sep 2022 )
• 50.925989 11.584947 3 FritzMitte - Stefan Lindloh , Neugasse 5 . ( updated Sep 2022 )
• 50.92936 11.584802 4 Cafeteria Zur Rosen , Johannisstraße 13 . ( updated Sep 2022 )
• 50.930204 11.581613 5 Die Kneipe , Wagnergasse 10 . ( updated Sep 2022 )
• 50.926871 11.579993 6 Bistro-Alibaba Jena , Lutherstraße 3A . ( updated Sep 2022 )
• 50.92957 11.583455 7 FritzMitte - Stefan Lindloh , Johannispl. 21 . ( updated Sep 2022 )
• 50.926917 11.586303 8 Hanoi Express , Grietgasse 2A , ☏ +49 3641 227551 . Vietnamese cuisine. Dishes are prepared in the open show kitchen. ( updated Sep 2022 )

Mid-range [ edit ]

• 50.929813 11.582439 9 Stilbruch , Wagnergasse 1-3 . Known to be among the best restaurants in Jena. ( updated Sep 2022 )
• 50.92357 11.621955 10 Fuchsturm Jena , Turmgasse 26 . ( updated Sep 2022 )
• 50.925098 11.606538 11 Wilhelmshöhe , Burgweg 75 . ( updated Sep 2022 )
• Noll , Oberlauengasse .  

Splurge [ edit ]

• 50.936438 11.579438 12 Landgrafen , Landgrafenstieg 25 , ☏ +49 3641 507071 . ( updated Sep 2022 )
• 50.92873 11.584608 13 Scala Restaurant Jena - JenTower 27.-29. OG , 27–29 JenTower, Leutragraben 1 . ( updated Sep 2022 )

Drink [ edit ]

• 50.929371 11.58614 14 Quirinus , Jenergasse 1 , ☏ +49 3641 3464916 . An atmospheric cafe.  

You should taste black (dark) beer. In all restaurants you will either get Köstritzer or Schwarze Rose. Both are good. You will find many Pils sorts as well.

• 50.924458 11.58277 1 Gruenowski , Schillergaesschen 5 ( behind the theatre ), ☏ +49 3641 446620 . A lively pub which also serves food.  
• 50.937469 11.557877 2 Papiermühle , Erfurter Str. 102 , ☏ +49 3641 45980 . Beer brewed in Jena.  

Enjoy nightlife at

• Wagnergasse .  
• 50.92934 11.58455 3 Rosenkeller , Johannisstraße 13 , ☏ +49 3641 9400925 .  
• 50.920856 11.577916 4 Kassablanca , Felsenkellerstr. 13a ( near Westbahnhof ), ☏ +49 3641 28260 .  

Sleep [ edit ]

Accommodation can be booked through the tourist information:

• 50.927986 11.58845 1 Jena Tourist-Information , Markt 16 , ☏ +49 3641 498066 , fax : +49 3641 498055 , [email protected] . M-Sa 10ː00-18ː00, Su closed .  

A list of accommodation options can be found at on the towns tourist website

• 50.913956 11.560251 1 Jugendgästehaus ( youth hostel ), Am Herrenberge 3 ( To get there, take bus line 10,13 or 40 from Teichgraben or Westbahnhof (Western train station) with direction Burgau. Get off at Zeiss-Werk. From there, it is 800 metres by foot slightly uphill along Mühlenstraße. ), ☏ +49 3641 687230 , fax : +49 3641 687202 , [email protected] . Room rates including breakfast: single room €27.50, double room €41, dorm (3 or 4 beds) from €18.50 per person .  

There are lots of good hotels with reasonable prices. Places located in Old Town include:

• 50.928229 11.589262 2 Restaurant & Hotel Haus im Sack , Oberlauengasse 14–17, 07743 Jena , ☏ +49 3641 637400 . In a historical vintner's house in the heart of old town. Double room €85 .  
• 50.926991 11.584944 3 IBIS Hotel City , Teichgraben 1 , ☏ +49 3641 8130 . Double room from €67 .  
• 50.92811 11.589235 4 Hotel & Kneipengalerie Zur Noll , Oberlauengasse 19 , ☏ +49 3641 597710 , [email protected] . Small, family-owned hotel (22 rooms) in a historic (yet modernised) building in the heart of old town.  
• 50.88008 11.60054 5 Steigenberger Maxx Hotel , Stauffenbergstraße 59, 07747 Jena , ☏ +49 3641 300-0 . Modern four-star hotel in a suburb 6.5 km south of the city centre (25 minutes tram ride). American 1930s to 50s-styled interior design. 220 rooms. Free tickets for public transport. Double room €60 . ( updated Nov 2016 )
• 50.930202 11.590432 6 Hotel Schwarzer Bär , Lutherplatz 2 , ☏ +49 3641 4060 . Double room €105 .  
• 50.927669 11.581109 7 Steigenberger Hotel Esplanade Jena , Carl-Zeiss-Platz 4, 07743 Jena . Big four-star hotel (140 rooms) located in an outer wing of the Goethe Galerie shopping mall in the city centre (500 m from market, 150 m from optical museum, 600 m from Paradies station) Double room from €105 (early-booking offers from €84 ) .  
• 50.92886 11.584655 8 Scala Hotel , Leutragraben 1 , ☏ +49 3641 3113888 . Small hotel on the 27th floor of JenTower (claiming to be Germany's second-tallest hotel). Cool and modernist interior design. Double room €135 and more . ( updated Nov 2016 )

Stay safe [ edit ]

Although Germany's east is considered to be a bit more dangerous for people looking "foreign", this is generally not a problem in Jena due to the city's international outlook thanks to the many students and specialists at the high-tech plants. Jena is among the towns with the highest ratio of foreigners in eastern Germany. So just take those measures you would normally take in the town you come from. Though, when using the tram to the less well-off suburbs at night, the risk of encountering unpleasant people rises (Germany's most infamous far-right terrorist group originated from a suburb of Jena).

Nearby [ edit ]

Go next [ edit ]

Buses leaving from the bus terminal adjacent to the main train station are only serving regional destinations of minor touristic interest, such as Eisenberg or Schleiz.

The best option is going by train from Westbahnhof to towns like Weimar (20 min) or Erfurt (40 min). Trains are leaving approximately once an hour.

From the main train station Jena-Paradies, it is possible to go to Dornburg, Rudolstadt (25–30 min) and Naumburg (30 min) by regional train, and to Leipzig (just over an hour), Berlin , Nuremberg (2½ hours each) and Munich (3 hr 50 min) by ICE high speed train. Trains leaving every two hours.

People who like hiking might try the Thüringenweg [dead link] , a 400 km hiking trail.

Cyclists will enjoy the Saale-Radweg (Saale bike trail; next stages are Dornburg and Naumburg, 49 km downriver, or Saalfeld , 54 km upriver) or the so-called Thüringer Städtekette (Thuringian city chain; next stages are Weimar (24 km west) or Gera (61 km east)).

• Has custom banner
• Has map markers
• Has mapframe
• Maps with non-default size
• Articles with dead external links
• See listing with no coordinates
• Articles with bad date events
• Eat listing with no coordinates
• Drink listing with no coordinates
• Has Geo parameter
• All destination articles
• Usable cities
• Usable articles
• City articles
• Pages with maps

Navigation menu

Home » Travel Guides » Germany » 15 Best Things to Do in Jena (Germany)

15 Best Things to Do in Jena (Germany)

Bulwarked by low mountains this Thuringian City is the home of one of Germany’s ten oldest universities. So it follows that many eminent literary figures, thinkers and scientists have lived or spent time here over the last 560 years. We’re talking about cultural and scientific giants like Goethe, Schiller, Nietzsche, Ernst Haeckel, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Johann Gottlieb Fichte.

But that’s leaving out the 19th-century instrument makers and opticians like Carl Zeiss and Otto Schott, whose names are still carried by international brands. For a bit of fun, a Seven Wonders of Jena was written up by Jena’s students in the 17th century. This once secret list can be an itinerary, although some of the five surviving “wonders” are a little odd.

Let’s have a look at the best things to do in Jena :

1. JenTower

Jena’s modern landmark is this 144.5-metre skyscraper built as a research facility for VEB Carl Zeiss Jena.

The tower went up in the 1970s with a design by East Germany’s foremost architect, Hermann Henselmann.

To this day the JenTower is the tallest skyscraper in the former GDR states, and its observation platform at 128 metres is open every day.

From this height you can see all of Jena its crucible of wooded hills, which are breathtaking in autumn when the leaves turn.

One floor below is the tower’s restaurant if you’d prefer to save on the fee for the observation platform and have a sit-down meal instead.

2. Zeiss-Planetarium Jena

Since you’re in the home city of Carl Zeiss you’d be remiss not to visit the planetarium.

This is the oldest planetarium in the world still in business, having first opened its doors on 18 July 1926. The building was a precursor to Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes, using a Fuller-esque metal framework for its concrete shell.

And while the venue may be historic, the planetarium uses the latest projection equipment by Carl Zeiss, with a 4096 x 4096 pixel display showing the stars and planets in awesome clarity.

Many of the shows are produced in-house and accompanied by a state-of -the-art 3D “SpatialSoundWave” system.

3. Botanischer Garten

Jena has Germany’s second oldest botanical garden, the origins of which can be followed back to 1586 with the foundation of a medicinal garden (hortus medicus). The garden adhered to Carl Linnaeus’ new taxonomical rules from 1770 and that same decade became associated with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who helped set up the Jena Institute of Botany.

This period proved to be the garden’s apogee because it was damaged in the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt in 1806 and languished for much of the 19th century before a redesign in the 1870s.

Managed by the University of Jena, the garden now has 12,000 plants.

There’s an arboretum with 900 different tree and shrub species and wonderful displays of roses, dahlias and rhododendrons in spring and summer.

The five greenhouses contain succulents and cactuses, aquatic plants, but maybe most exciting of all is the evolution house, with ancient ferns and cycads.

4. Optical Museum Jena

If you’re wondering how Jena came to be the centre of Germany’s optical instruments industry this museum will fill you in.

You’ll get in touch with the careers of 19th-century trailblazers like Carl Zeiss, Otto Schott and Ernst Abbe and track the development of lenses over eight centuries.

The museum’s beginnings are interesting too: When Carl Zeiss was assembling microscopes in the 1800s he had a side business repairing other manufacturers’ instruments as a way of keeping up with their technological advances.

These are a now a big part of the collection.

But going back through history there’s a camera obscura, and a spectrum of magic lanterns and peep shows (in the historical sense!). You’ll also learn how eyeglasses, telescopes, microscopes and photographic lenses have evolved , and can marvel at holographs, learn about the science of colours and watch a show at the museum’s own planetarium.

5. Stadtkirche St. Michael

Jena’s main Protestant church has been at the heart of ecclesiastical life in the city for more than seven centuries.

It was built in phases from the 1380s and once linked with a Cistercian monastery from the High Middle Ages.

The choir came first, at the end of the 14th century, while the nave wouldn’t be started until 1474 and was completed in 1557. Martin Luther preached at this church many times between 1524 and 1529, and the pulpit he used is still intact.

There’s a bronze grave epitaph for Luther, cast in 1549 by a local bell founder using the portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder.

One of Jena’s Seven Wonders is also here: Known as Ara, this is a 3.5-metre-high vaulted passageway under the altar, which once led to the Cistercian monastery next door.

6. Fuchsturm

Also one of the Seven Wonders of Jena, the Fuchsturm (Fox Tower) is the keep of a medieval castle on the slopes of the 400-metre Hausberg mountain overlooking the city from the east.

In the 10th century this castle was the easternmost Ottonian court, and was owned by a succession of ministeriales, powerful nobles whose families had humble histories.

Eager hikers could make the climb from Marktplatz in the city centre to this scenic vantage point.

The tower has been in the hands of a local preservation society for more than 150 years, and there has been a restaurant in the house below since 1868.

7. Stadtmuseum & Kunstsammlung

On the north wall of the historic marketplace stands the Göhre, a half-timbered house with foundations laid in the 1200s.

The building is named after Paul Göhre, who ran a wine tavern here at the turn of the century.

The city’s museum had a few locations before moving into this building in 1988, and there’s a timeline on the stairway leading from Jena’s first mention in the 9th century to 1850. One of curiosities inside is Draco, a bizarre 17th-century sculpture made of papier-mâché, wire and animal bones.

Back then Draco qualified for that list of Seven Wonders! Also look for the Jena Wartburg flag from 1816, the first time the German colours of black, red and gold were united on one banner.

8. Napoleonstein

Military historians can venture onto the slopes of the Windknollen north of Jena, where the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt took place on 14 October 1806. And while the trek and view from this grassy hill may be glorious, that day more than 210 years ago was anything but pleasant.

Upwards of 10,000 people died at this place alone.

The Prussian defeat that day would see the Kingdom of Prussia absorbed by the French Empire.

Nine days later General Louis-Nicolas Davout’s French army marched into Berlin under the Brandenburg Gate.

Etched onto the stone is a quote about Germany’s attitude towards Napoleon by author and historian Golo Mann, as well as the distances in kilometres to other Napoleonic battlefields like Austerlitz, Cairo, Leipzig and Waterloo.

9. Phyletisches Museum

This museum on phylogenetics was founded over a century ago by none other than the influential biologist Ernst Haeckel.

The foundation stone had been laid on August 28 1907, Goethe’s birthday, while its Art Nouveau architecture has earned it listed status.

The museum’s permanent exhibition is on the middle ground between art and science.

The Medusa Hall for instance still has beautiful frescoes of marine life painted in 1908. There are also artistically designed showcases, and these are paired with insights about the phylogenetic development of organisms, evolutionary theory and the genetic science that informs it.

In-depth studies show how HIV spread so quickly in the 1980s, and how sexual selection affects the behaviour and appearance of animals.

10. Schillers Gartenhaus

This museum preserves the house and garden that belonged to the playwright and national icon Friedrich Schiller at the end of the 18th century.

Schiller picked the house for its large garden as he had health problems at the time and was recommended fresh air.

During his stay he wrote one of his most famous works, Wallenstein, as well as sections of Maria Stuart and the Maid of Orleans.

The oval stone table under an arbour where Schiller and his friend Goethe would chew the cud is exactly where it was more than 200 years ago.

There are also little revelations that will bring a smile to your face, like Friedrich’s wife Charlotte having a separate bedroom because he would get up suddenly in the night when he had an idea.

11. Johannisfriedhof

A city that has had as many illustrious residents as Jena is bound to have some famous burials.

At the Johannisfriedhof, next to the Botanischer Garten, you can track down Carl Zeiss’ final resting place.

But at the same time the cemetery is uncommonly beautiful: There have been no new burials at the Johannisfriedhof since 1948, and for the last forty years the wide avenues, century-old trees and ivy-covered mausoleums have become a public park.

Some other interesting graves to look out for are Caroline von Wolzogen (Schiller’s sister in law), and the respected physician Johann Christian Stark the Elder who treated both Goethe and Schiller.

12. Schott Glasmuseum

The chemist and glass technologist Otto Schott helped advance optical instruments in the 19th and 20th centuries.

In 1884 he co-founded the Glastechnisches Laboratorium Schott & Genossen, which would evolve into today’s glass-making multinational Schott AG. His biggest contribution came in 1893 with the invention of borosilicate glass, which is more resistant to chemicals, heat and sudden changes in temperature.

To get to grips with one of the most brilliant scientists and inventors of the day you can enter Schott’s palatial villa where he lived and had his own laboratory.

There are details about his life, insights into the changing methods for glassmaking and how his discoveries led to ever more powerful telescopes and microscopes.

13. Imaginata

There are now interactive science museums for kids all over the world, but one of the very first opened in a disused substation in Jena in 1995. Over 20 years later there are still more than 100 engaging experiments and exhibits, finding unconventional ways to get young minds thinking about mathematics, physics and optical illusions.

Imagination has a big role to play in helping kids learn, so they’ll be plunged into outlandish situations like riding a bike over a tightrope, riding a one-person rollercoaster and lying inside a grand piano.

14. Romantikerhaus

At the turn of the 18th century a generation of authors, poets, literary critics, scientists and philosophers put Jena at the vanguard of thought in Europe.

This museum captures the spirit of those first Romantics, paying special attention to the publisher and patron Carl Friedrich Ernst Frommann, who had a wide circle of friends that included Goethe.

The museum’s venue is the house that philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte lived in when he was lecturing at the university in the 1790s.

One of the museum’s showpieces is the experimental cabinet by the chemist and philosopher Johann Wilhelm Ritter.

This shows the scientific commitment of the early Romantics and the complex relationship between art, philosophy and science.

15. Thüringer Rostbratwurst

Out and about in Jena you’ll catch the scent of grilling sausages.

This goes especially for market days (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays). But the rest of the time you’ll never be far from a moving “Grillteufel” stands.

Real Thüringer Rostbratwurst is up to 20 centimetres long and cooked over a charcoal fire.

Unlike, say, a frankfurter, it packs a herby punch and is heavily seasoned with garlic, caraway and marjoram.

It will come in a bun and with a dollop of mustard.

And being an East German student town, there’s a great price to quality ratio for snacks and meals in Jena.

15 Best Things to Do in Jena (Germany):

• Zeiss-Planetarium Jena
• Botanischer Garten
• Optical Museum Jena
• Stadtkirche St. Michael
• Stadtmuseum & Kunstsammlung
• Napoleonstein
• Phyletisches Museum
• Schillers Gartenhaus
• Johannisfriedhof
• Schott Glasmuseum
• Romantikerhaus
• Thüringer Rostbratwurst

• To main navigation
• Skip to content
• Skip to footer

A university summer festival in classical robe

• Previous entry

Published: 25 May 2022, 7:46 | By: Axel Burchardt

The University of Jena can finally celebrate its Schiller Day in presence again this year. On 24 June, in addition to the festive event, the university summer festival is part of the tried and tested programme. As there is only limited capacity, tickets are usually sold out quickly. This year is no exception - only a few tickets are still available in the university shop External link .

In order to give more interested people the opportunity to experience a musical event in the enchanting ambience of the Botanical Garden, the University has developed a new concept: a second summer festival day aimed at friends of classical music. On 25 June, "Classical Music in the Botanical Garden" will have its premiere. Advance ticket sales have started.

There will be more than a concert on that Saturday, it will be a summer evening in the illuminated garden with classical music, recitations and dance music. Three programmes will be performed twice each on four stages. Guests can indulge in Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" and learn about "Goethe, Schiller and women" from actor Bernd Lange. The Trio Incanto (flute, viola, harp) presents works by Bach, Zabel, Debussy, Shankar, Couperin, Oppermann, Frouvelle and Jolivet with a "Triad of Nature". And in the courtyard in front of the greenhouses, waltzes, tangos and rumbas can be danced.

Tickets are available for 18 euros/12 euros (reduced) at the university shop, at the ticket office in the Botanical Garden and at the Tourist Information Jena (advance booking fee applies).

The detailed programme can be found at: www.klassikgarten.uni-jena.de  de (German only).

• [email protected]
• +49 3641 9-401443
• Go to Institution  de

Buy tickets

Change of tariffs from 1 April 2023:

Generally, all tickets bought for the old tariff that have not yet been validated stay valid until 30 June 2023. Passed that date and until 30 September 2023, those tickets can be changed into the new tariff for a surcharge.

You receive more information on all tickets and prices at the Stadtwerke Jena customer centre and via the VMT-service hotline at 0361 19449.

Are you spontaneous and want to buy a ticket quickly on the go via your mobile phone? Or do you prefer to buy your ticket in advance? Perhaps you value personal advice before pursuing a ticket? For every passenger, we have the right offer!

Get your tickets at the Stadtwerke customer centre

For the personal note of your purchase, come and visit us at our customer centre at Saalstraße 8a, located directly at the stops Steinweg and Universität.

Check in. Hop on. FAIRTIQ.

Do you want simply want to hop on and set off, without having to worry about the right ticket then account for your journey by bus, train and tram with the fairtiq app. this means that you can always travel at the best available price throughout the vmt-service area without being up-to-date about the fares..

Ticket vending machines at bus stops

Our ticket vending machines are located at central stops of the Jena public transport service. These offer the entire range of tickets for Jena and the transport association Mittelthüringen VMT (except subscriptions).

Tickets can also be purchased there in advance. They accept coins and debit or credit cards (also contactless) as payment methods. Weekly and monthly tickets are already validated. Please make sure to validate all other ticket types when starting your journey.

Locations of ticket vending machines at bus stops

• Altenburger Straße
• Kieshügel
• Universitätsklinikum
• Enver-Şimşek-Platz
• Emil-Wölk-Straße
• Platanenstraße
• Geschwister-Scholl-Straße
• Lobeda-West
• Paradiesbahnhof
• Richard-Sorge-Straße
• Spittelplatz
• Stadtzentrum Holzmarkt, Löbdergraben, Teichgraben

What the ticket machines are capable of and what you need to keep in mind: Our blog article contains an overview of the features of the vendors located at the stops. 

Ticket vending machines in vehicles of public transport

You can find ticke machines in all buses and trains of the Jena public transport system. Coins and debit or credit cards (also contactless) are accepted payment methods. The ticket offer includes the entire range of tickets (except subscriptions) for Jena and the transport association Mittelthüringen VMT.

Important: Please note that the machines in our vehicles only issue tickets that have already been validated. Sales in advance are not possible.

You can obtain the following tickets from the JES bus drivers:

• Single trips
• 4-journey tickets
• VMT hopper tickets
• (Group) day tickets and dog/bicycle tickets
• Weekly and monthly tickets

Partner selling points

In addition to our customer center and the ticket vending machines, you can purchase the entire range of tickets for Jena and the Mittelthüringen public transport service VMT (except subscriptions) in advance at the following sales points.

Tariff information

download   Tariff policy and contract terms Deutschlandticket

download VMT price table  

download VMT fare zone plan

download VMT fare information and conditions of carriage

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Automatic Refunds and No More Hidden Fees: D.O.T. Sets New Rules for Airlines

The Transportation Department issued new requirements on refunds when flights are canceled or delayed and on revealing “junk” fees before booking. Here’s what passengers can expect.

By Christine Chung

The Transportation Department on Wednesday announced new rules taking aim at two of the most difficult and annoying issues in air travel: obtaining refunds and encountering surprise fees late in the booking process.

“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them — without having to ask,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement, adding that the changes would not only save passengers “time and money,” but also prevent headaches.

The department’s new rules, Mr. Buttigieg said, will hold airlines to clear and consistent standards when they cancel, delay or substantially change flights, and require automatic refunds to be issued within weeks. They will also require them to reveal all fees before a ticket is purchased.

Airlines for America , a trade group representing the country’s largest air carriers, said in a statement that its airlines “abide by and frequently exceed” D.O.T. consumer protection regulations.

Passenger advocates welcomed the new steps.

Tomasz Pawliszyn, the chief executive of AirHelp, a Berlin-based company that assists passengers with airline claims, called it a “massive step forward and huge improvement in consumer rights and protection” that brings the United States closer to global standards in passenger rights.

Here’s what we know about the D.O.T.’s new rules, which will begin to go into effect in October.

There’s now one definition for a “significant” delay.

Until now, airlines have been allowed to set their own definition for a “significant” delay and compensation has varied by carrier . Now, according to the D.O.T., there will be one standard: when departure or arrival is delayed by three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights.

Passengers will get prompt refunds for cancellations or significant changes for flights and delayed bags, for any reason.

When things go wrong, getting compensation from an airline has often required establishing a cumbersome paper trail or spending untold hours on the phone. Under the new rules, refunds will be automatic, without passengers having to request them. Refunds will be made in full, excepting the value of any transportation already used. Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in the original form of payment, whether by cash, credit card or airline miles. Refunds are due within seven days for credit card purchases and within 20 days for other payments.

Passengers with other flight disruptions, such as being downgraded to a lower service class, are also entitled to refunds.

The list of significant changes for which passengers can get their money back also includes: departure or arrival from an airport different from the one booked; connections at different airports or flights on planes that are less accessible to a person with a disability; an increase in the number of scheduled connections. Also, passengers who pay for services like Wi-Fi or seat selection that are then unavailable will be refunded any fees.

Airlines must give travel vouchers or credits to ticketed passengers unable to fly because of government restrictions or a doctor’s orders.

The vouchers or credits will be transferable and can be used for at least five years after the date they were issued.

Fees for checked baggage and modifying a reservation must be disclosed upfront.

Airlines and ticket agents are now required to display any extra fees for things like checking bags or seat selection clearly and individually before a ticket purchase. They will also need to outline the airline’s policies on baggage, cancellations and changing flights before a customer purchases a ticket.

The rules, which apply to all flights on domestic airlines and flights to and from the United States operated by foreign airlines, have varying start dates.

For example, automatic refunds must be instituted by the airlines within six months. But carriers have a year before they’re required to issue travel vouchers and credits for passengers advised by a medical professional not to fly.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Christine Chung is a Times reporter covering airlines and consumer travel. More about Christine Chung

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .