Greiz calls itself the Pearl of the Vogtland, and for a small Thuringian town it has some substance behind the claim. The Sommerpalais, set in the Fürstlich Greizer Park along the White Elster river, is considered the finest late-Baroque palace in Thuringia and houses a notable collection of satirical art and caricatures — one of the largest in Germany.
Above the town, the Oberes Schloss perches on a rocky spur with views over the valley and the surrounding forests. The lower town has a quiet, well-kept centre with a handful of cafes around the market square and several streets of Jugendstil houses. Greiz was the capital of the tiny principality of Reuss Elder Line until 1918, and you can still sense that this was once a place that considered itself rather important.
It is not a destination in its own right, but if you are passing through the Vogtland or exploring eastern Thuringia, Greiz rewards a half-day stop.