Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [226]
Casa dei Colori ( 0171 930 8036; www.casa-colori.de; Eisfeld 1a; r €65-85, breakfast €9.50; ) Possibly Weimar’s most charming boutique Pension, the Casa convincingly imports cheerfully exuberant Mediterranean flair to central Europe. The mostly good-sized rooms are dressed in bold colours and come with a small desk, a couple of comfy armchairs and stylish bathrooms.
Art Hotel ( 540 60; www.art-hotel-weimar.de; Freiherr-vom-Stein-Allee 3a-3b; s €74-99, d €94-119; ) This classy and contemporary art hotel caters for the needs of both tourists and business travellers. After a day of turf pounding, the fine restaurant and the stress-melting spa and fitness area will compete for your attention. It’s about a 10-minute walk south of the centre.
TOP END
Hotel Elephant Weimar ( 8020; www.luxurycollection.com/elephant; Markt 19; r €106-259, ste €266-600; ) The moment you make your entrance in the elegant art-deco lobby of this charmer, you sense that it’s luxury all the way from here to the top. For over 300 years, this classic has wooed statesmen, artists, scholars and the merely rich with first-class service and amenities.
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Eating & Drinking
Estragon ( 253 212; Herderplatz 3; soups €2.80-5.30; 10am-7pm Mon-Sat, noon-4pm Sun; ) There are days when a bowl of steamy soup feels as warm and embracing as a hug from a good friend. This little soup kitchen turns mostly organic ingredients into delicious flavour combos served in three sizes. It shares digs with a small organic supermarket.
Brasserie Central ( 852 774; Rollplatz 8a; breakfast €3-8, mains €6-13; 10am-1am; ) This popular bistro-bar starts the day with breakfast and, as the clock loops the hours, becomes a relaxed eatery, and a place to indulge in coffee, wine or beer.
ACC ( 851 161; www.acc-cafe.de; Burgplatz 1; dishes €5-10; 11am-midnight Mon-Fri, 10am-midnight Sat & Sun; ) Goethe had his first pad after arriving in Weimar in this building, now home to an alt-vibe, artsy hang-out, where the food and wine are organic whenever possible and the upstairs gallery delivers a primer on the local art scene. The owners also rent out a room and a holiday flat (www.goethezimmer.de), both handsomely furnished.
Residenz-Café ( 594 08; Grüner Markt 4; mains €5-16; ) The ‘Resi’, one of Weimar’s enduring favourites, is a jack of all trades: everyone should find something to their taste here. The Lovers’ Breakfast is €19.50 for two, but the inspired meat and vegetarian dishes may well have you swooning, too.
Jo Hanns ( 493 617; Scherfgasse 1; mains €10-20; 11am-midnight; ) The food is satisfying but it’s the 130 wines from the Saale-Unstrut Region – many served by the glass – that give Jo Hanns a leg up on the competition. No matter whether you order the classic steak or scallops and shrimp with mint-lime spaghetti, there’s a bottle with your name on it.
Gasthaus zum Weissen Schwan ( 908 751; Frauentorstrasse 23; mains €11-20; noon-midnight Wed-Sun; ) At this venerable inn, you can fill your tummy with Goethe’s favourite dish, which actually hails from his home town of Frankfurt (boiled beef with herb sauce, red beet salad and potatoes). The rest of the menu, though, is upmarket Thuringian.
Anno 1900 ( 903 571; Geleitstrasse 12a; mains €12-19; 11am-1am Mon-Fri, 10am-1am Sat & Sun; ) Send your taste buds on a wild ride in this elegant art-nouveau pavilion. How about emu filet with carrot-rocket fettucine followed by tonka-bean crème brûlée? It’s adventurous, but most of the time it works. Breakfast is served until the hangover-friendly time of 2pm.
Planbar ( 502 785; Jakobsplan 6; ) Past the heavy door awaits this good-looking bar with an unpretentious, all-ages crowd that likes to knock back the mojitos, flirt with the bartenders and wave to the DJs.
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Entertainment
Studentenclub Schützengasse ( 904 323; www.schuetzengasse.de; Schützengasse 2) The grunge factor is high at this student club, which may be just what the doctor ordered as an antidote to highbrow burnout. Monday movie nights and salsa