Weimar Things to Do

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After the end of WW2 the various wooden huts were taken away and reused. The only wooden building that remains and gives you some idea of what they look like, is sited where the former infirmary stood. On the day I visited the building was locked up and a number of CCTV cameras were situated around the hut.

One of the strange features of Buchenwald Concentration Camp was a zoo that was built just outside the camp and within full view of the inmates. The animals were fed with generous portions in front of the staving prisoners. The zoo was for the enjoyment of the guards and their families and the bear enclosure is still visible today.

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Later in its history prisoner would arrive at the Buchenwald Railway Station and then went along the Carachoweg (Caracho Way) to the main camp entrance. Its nickname Caracho means double time in Spanish and is believed to have come from some of the Spanish Communist prisoners held in the camp. The prisoners had to double time down the road as well as receiving a beating from the SS guards.

You should plan enough time for a visit at Buchenwald. The complex is gigantic and it takes a lot of time to see everything. Even for partial visits only you need at least 2 hours.
Your first step at Buchenwald should always be the info point next to the former SS barracks. Here, you can get a leaflet with useful information and audioguides for in-depth explanations. There is also a bookstore.
From the info point, several signposted paths lead through the memorial site. We mainly followed the one leading to the prison camp which is where photos and relics of those dark years are exhibited. See the following tips for details.

Market Square (Markt) is the most central place of Weimar. Here, you can see the splendid townhall building as well as the probably prettiest tourist information of the world. There are also several cafes to hang out and a fountain with a Neptune (?) statue.

This beautiful park used to be Goethe's favourite place to be in Weimar - here, he met his later wife Christiane Vulpius. Moreover, he designed parts of the park himself.
The main sight in the park surely is Goethes Gartenhaus (Goethe's garden house) where he also lived for several years. It's a pretty plain house overlooking a large lawn. Unfortunately, we didn't make it inside as they had just closed it. Best to come before 6pm...

As usual on my pages, you also find a tip here that tells you to enjoy the town by just walking around! Weimar is a great town for that - all of the sights are within walking distance of the centre (except Buchenwald memorial). The area around market square and theater square (Markt / Theaterplatz) is full of obvious and hidden beauty, be it the houses, the fountains or the street artists who are disguised as Goethe or so.
So do it - just start walking through Weimar and you won't be disappointed!

Theater Square is mostly famous for its monument of Goethe and Schiller just in front of the theater. Unfortunately, the two are being refurbished at the moment and hidden behind tarps. But other culture may also be experienced there: regularly, street musicians play their songs, such as the guys on the photo who played some good jazz music...
Apart from that, there is also the Bauhaus museum which I would have loved to visit, but the time was too short. Next time!