The park running along the Ilm river through the centre of Weimar was laid out under Goethe's supervision from the 1770s onward — he had a personal hand in shaping it for decades. It is an English-style landscape park: meadows, old trees, winding paths, and a few follies placed with care. Goethe's Garden House, where he lived before moving to the Frauenplan, stands in the middle of the park and is open to visitors. The park is free and open at all hours; it is the best way to arrive in Weimar feeling unhurried.
Park an der Ilm
Goethe-designed riverside park through the heart of Weimar
A story
Goethe's Garden House in the park was a gift from Duke Karl August in 1776, when the poet first arrived in Weimar. He lived here for six years before moving to the grander Frauenplan house, but kept the garden house for the rest of his life as a retreat for writing and botanical experiments.