Discover Gera: City History, Parks and Cycling Routes

When looking for a hotel in Gera, it helps to start with your travel plans: Would you like to explore historic buildings and museums, spend time in green spaces, or get to know Gera as part of a longer cycling tour? The city offers different points of reference for these interests—from the tram connection at the main railway station to two long-distance cycling routes.

Getting here and getting to the city centre

The stop for tram line 1 is directly connected to Gera’s main railway station. The line takes passengers straight to the city centre. If you are planning trips into the centre during your stay, this connection is a useful point of reference for your journey. Check the latest timetable information before you travel.

Buildings and Gera’s history

Gera’s historic town hall stands on the market square. This three-storey Renaissance building has a tower more than 57 metres high; its sloping windows are another striking feature. The historic old town is also home to the Church of the Saviour (Salvatorkirche) on Nicolaiberg. It is the only remaining church within Gera’s historic old town.

The theatre’s changing names also reflect its history. The former Princely Court Theatre was called the Reußisches Staatstheater from 1918 to 1945, and then the Städtische Bühnen Gera until 1995. Today it is called Theater Altenburg-Gera. This sequence of names places the theatre in different periods of the city’s history without confusing its former names with its present one.

Osterstein Castle stands on the Hainberg, high above the White Elster; it has occupied this site for around 800 years. Those interested in Gera’s history can also find a link to the city’s past at the City Museum: it is housed in a former correctional and orphanage, built directly in front of the city wall between 1724 and 1738. The building has housed the museum since 1914.

Museum and historic gardens

At the City Museum, the permanent exhibition and the themed exhibition “Romantic Gera” cover around 1,000 square metres across four floors. They explore Gera’s history from its first settlement to the 21st century. As exhibition displays may change, check the latest information before planning a visit specifically to the museum.

The Kitchen Garden (Küchengarten) brings together several historical periods. First mentioned in 1631, it served the court as a kitchen garden and the Reuß family as a formal Baroque pleasure garden. From 1946 to 1991, it successively bore the names “Stalin Park,” “Theatre Park” and “Park of the Victims of Fascism”; since 1991, it has once again been called Küchengarten. This sequence of names is part of its history, as is its former function as a garden.

The history of Gera Zoo began in 1962 with a small local animal enclosure. In 1972, it was expanded into Gera Zoo. This offers another historical overview alongside the city’s architectural and museum history.

Green spaces and cycling routes

Hofwiesenpark covers 300,000 square metres, lies directly on the banks of the White Elster and is just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre. Its location can therefore be understood differently from that of the historic buildings around the market square: the riverside setting, the size of the park and the short walk to the centre are the key points of reference here.

Two routes with different itineraries are relevant for cycling trips in Gera. The 250-kilometre Elster Cycle Route runs from Aš in the Czech Republic to Halle (Saale) and connects directly to Gera. The Thuringian City Chain also passes directly through the city, but runs from Eisenach to Altenburg. If you would like to include Gera in a longer tour, these endpoints offer an initial comparison of the two routes. This means that, in addition to the sights within the city, two long-distance cycling routes are also available to consider when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Großebersdorf, Auma-Weidatal, Hain, Hohenleuben, Bocka, Kraftsdorf, Schwarzbach, Mohlsdorf-Teichwolframsdorf.

For the overview of destinations in the wider area: Greiz.