7 days in Germany

I can suggest a couple of possible side-trips from Weimar:

• Erfurt: A handsome university city with some beautiful architecture and a merchants' bridge. Erfurt basically survived the war intact. About 15 minutes by train from Weimar

• Eisenach: A town with a pretty, historic center. Wartburg Castle is accessible by bus from the center of Eisenach (a bit of a walk from the train station as I recall). I am not a castle fan, but I thought this one was comparatively interesting. YMMV. Eisenach is roughly an hour from Erfurt. Some trains are direct; others require a change. Add extra time to get to the castle.

Just outside Weimar (with bus service available) is the Buchenwald concentration camp memorial/museum.

Whether you do Weimar or Nuremberg first, you will be making a very long train journey from Bruges.

"I am interested in Castles and all things nature!"

So the Middle Rhine Valley might be a logical and worthwhile first stop from Bruges on your way east.

https://i2.wp.com/herbert-piel.de/wp-44b92-content/uploads/2016/01/Loreleytal.jpg?fit=960%2C641
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1066
http://www.loreley-info.com/eng/rhein-rhine/castles.php
http://www.loreley-info.com/eng/rhein-rhine/city-cities.php
https://www.romantic-germany.info/index.php?id=2942

I think the MRV + Weimar + Nuremberg should be close to doable in 7 days.

Thank you both! Yes it will be a long train ride ...
I will look into your suggestion! I am very open to all suggestions as I have not been this part of Germany before. So Thank you

Hi,

Great that you're heading to Weimar, Germany's city of poets and culture, Dichter und Kulturestadt, as you can see on the postcards.... lovely town with a totally different feel in Weimar in contrast to towns of comparable size in western Germany.

If you do decide to see the camp Buchenwald, you can take the bus from the Goetheplatz, which is ca 35 min walk into the Zentrum from the train station, ca. a 30 minute bus ride. Signs in the Goetheplatz indicate where, opposite of the music school.

We visited Weimar while it was still the DDR, but the borders were open. I can't imagine why you would spend three nights there.

Nuremberg is great, but also why so long there. You can see what needs to be seen in two full days. You may wish to include Regensburg or Bamberg.

Since Prague has vast amounts to see without taking a train anywhere, your allocation of only part of one day seems odd. Or does your trip continue from there? Presumably you are aware that you have missed 75% of Germany, including Bavaria, Berlin, Baltic Germany, and so on.

Germans love hiking and there should be 'nature' available almost anywhere you go - if you have the time. Have you read our host's castle material? https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&filter=Rick%27s+Blog&query=castles&utf8=%E2%9C%93

Thank you ! My thinking is not to stay put in either place but to use them as overnight points for day trips. This is my fourth visit to Germany and I have traveled quite a bit ... I will be in Prague for one week and there after visit Munich for 3 nights then on to Switzerland. My trip is a total of 51 days this is just a small part that I was needing some advice on . Thank you again

Hi,

Because Weimar's claim to fame is that it is one of Germany's top cultural cities, as I pointed out above, you can see the houses/museums of Goethe and Schiller, also that of Wieland, Herder too.

I suppose in total I've spent three days in Weimar spread out over three trips, one over nighter and 2 day trips. Still, I need to go back for the literature related sights.

There are in Weimar. WW2 sites there too, if you're into more esoteric history, i.e., the big memorial and square to the German Communist Party leader in the inter-war years and who was a candidate against Hitler in the presidential election, ca. 20 minute walk straight down from the train station going to the Zentrum, and the Soviets have their WW2 military cemetery/memorial in the park. In 1945 the Americans liberated the town and the Buchenwald camp.

That and the cultural history sites are more than enough to engage your time of 2-4 days in that lovely town.

A trip of 51 days total...fantastic !

If you are considering other towns in the general area of Weimar, either as day trips or spending 2-3 nights, then I would heartily suggest the following: Jena, Naumburg an der Saale, Leipzig, Erfurt, ...historically and culturally significant.

I am interested in Castles and all things nature! I do love the city
but really like the charm of all the old architecture!

If you follow Russ's advice, you can have nature and (really good) castles in the Upper Middle Rhine area and cities/architecture in Nürnberg and its surroundings. Plus, there's a lot of charming Fachwerkhäuser/split-timbered houses in the Upper Middle Rhine region. I love the idea of going to Weimar and want to go there myself, but I think you'll get a bit more varied flavor of Germany if you do one nature-oriented stop and one city/town-oriented stop.

I also share Fred's enthusiasm with regard to the length of your trip!

Thanks so much Everyone!!!
I am rethinking Weimar and considering
Mainz as an overnight
Then heading to Nuremberg...
Again using these spots as sleeping points and doing some day trips!