Location: Jena
Top Things to do in Jena
10 Things to Do in Jena That You Shouldn't Miss
Jena (German pronunciation: [ˈjeːna] ( listen)) is a German university city and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, while the city itself has a population of about 110,000. Jena is a centre of education and research; the Friedrich Schiller University was founded in 1558 and has 21,000 students today and the Ernst-Abbe-Fachhochschule Jena counts another 5,000 students. Furthermore, there are many institutes of the leading German research societies.
Restaurants in Jena
1. Jen-Tower
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 153 reviews
Reviewed By SydneyPerla - Sydney
We visited JenTower last year in summer and it was a pretty hot day. Maybe this was an advantage as we had the lookout platform almost for ourselves.
The fare is not too bad and you need to switch lifts up there (the receptionist will tell you where).
It's a nice lookout and the views are just beautiful.
2. Zeiss-Planetarium
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 158 reviews
Reviewed By Steffi O - Ottawa, Canada
The oldest continuously operating Planetarium in the world makes gazing at the stars and planets an exciting and informative experience. Although I was mystified by the sudden transformation of the star-studded cupola into a rock concert featuring Queen, I have to concede that it was an electrifying evening. Not quite what I expected and definitely not what I remembered from my childhood visits.
3. Botanischer Garten
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 84 reviews
Reviewed By buttereyes - Red Wing, Minnesota
If you’re wondering what the everblooming daylilies you and your buds can do for entertainment in Jena, just ask yourself, “WWGD” (What would Goethe Do)? Goethe would undoubtedly bolt over to the Botanical Garden to visit the tree he planted there so many years ago…his beloved Ginkgo, which is now the oldest in Thuringia.
Fun side story for luvvas: his poem “Gingo Biloba” (later “Ginkgo Biloba”) was dedicated to his muse, Marianne von Willemer. The tart was as recently married woman, who at 35 years his junior was the Catherine Zeta Jones to his Michael Douglas…the Hilaria to his Alec…the *ahem, fur ball* Courtney Stodden to his Doug Hutchison.
While creeping on Marianne, Goethe mailed her a Ginkgo-leaf with a side of fava beans. Then on September 15, 1815 he read his draft of the Gingo/Ginkgo poem to her and friends in Frankfurt. On September 23, 1815 he saw Marianna for the last time. Guess he couldn’t see the forest for the trees!
And here for your pleasure is the poem that was the kiss of death for their little tryst:
“Gingo Biloba”
This leaf from a tree in the East,
Has been given to my garden.
It reveals a certain secret,
Which pleases me and thoughtful people.
Is it a living being,
Which has separated in itself?
Or are these two, who chose
To be recognized as one?
Answering this kind of question,
Haven’t I found the proper meaning,
Don’t you feel in my songs,
That I’m one and double?
In addition to Frau Willemer, old Joe was also inspired by his surroundings at the garden to create some of his other greatest hits, like “West-östlicher Divan” and “Italian Journey”, which brings us back to the garden.
The second-oldest botanical garden in Germany, it was first established in 1586 as the medical garden, “Hortus Medicus in Collegio” by the University of Jena. It has been enlarged and redesigned many times in the years since. In 1776, Goethe and Botany Professor Batch founded the Botanical Garden (currently maintained by the Friedrich-Schiller-Univeristy of Jena) . It now contains about 12,000 plants from every climatic zone on Earth.
Areas of the grounds include an alpine garden, a collection of medicinal and useful plants, a pond, an arboretum containing about 900 species of deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs, a palm house, a collection of rhododendrons, roses, and dahlias, and a recreation of Goethe’s Garden and the Inspector House.
The succulents section of the garden is not to be missed for those furnishing guest rooms for in-laws. Your interior decorator will be delighted when you show them examples of the the Echinocactus Grusonin/Golden Barrel Cactus, affectionately known as the “Schwiegervater and Schwiegermutter Sessels” (Father-in-law and mother-in-law chairs)!
No need to leach off your friends to get in…admission is under 5 Euro.
Most areas are wheelchair-accessible.
4. Optisches Museum Jena
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 47 reviews
Reviewed By LondonTell - London
If you have a great interest in photograph, history, German contribution, pre and post war. This exhibition is for you, although it covers all of the work by the local Zeiss company that made Jena famous across all areas of optics.
Audio guide is available from ticket office. Pay car parking is at Goethe shopping mall close buy.
5. Napoleonstein
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 33 reviews
Reviewed By Philipp K - Jena, Germany
To get to the Napoleonstein you either have to take a longer climb over a couple of hundred steps or you can drive up to the Restaurant Landgrafen and combine it with some nice meal. Another alternative is to drive to Cospeda and walk over to the Napoleonstein. But once you got there your hassle will be rewarded with a great view above jena and surroundings.
You have several walking tracks near by, who offer several good spots to view jena from above.
In autumn this is a good spot for flying your kite as well.
6. Stadtkirche Sankt Michael
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 21 reviews
7. Stadtmuseum Jena
Overall Ratings
4 based on 30 reviews
Reviewed By sundarg - Bengaluru, India
When I visited Jena, the last days of the 3 month long art exhibition of paintings by Henry van de Velde and other impressionists and neo-impressionists was on. Though I couldn't catch the full impact because they had no English audio-guides, I still enjoyed the exhibition very much. Not knowing anything much about art, I was not by any means a connoisseur, but enjoyed the exhibition as a complete lay-person.
The remaining museum was very interesting with lots of displays including paintings as well as some modern sculptures.
I had a wonderful and fruitful half-a-day at the Jena Museum.
8. Phyletisches Museum
Overall Ratings
4 based on 20 reviews
Founded by Ernst Haeckel, the Phyletisches Museum is a globally unique institution. It is not just a natural history museum, but has been, from the start, a place dedicated to illustrating the development of life. Its main areas of focus are phylogeny and the theory of evolution, and it also celebrates the meeting of art and nature. The façade of the Art nouveau building, itself a cultural monument, is adorned with two important terms which Haeckel coined in Jena: Ontogenie (ontogeny) and Phylogenie (phylogeny).
Reviewed By Rebecca D - Glasgow, United Kingdom
A wonderful collection, I enjoyed wandering around very much. It's only €1.50 if you have a student card (I guess that's the general concession price). They ask for an additional €2 if you want to take photographs.
Pro: It's open on a Sunday (almost everything else is closed).
Con: Everything is in German, so unless you can read German you'll struggle to understand the descriptions and so on.
9. Schillers Gartenhaus Jena
Overall Ratings
4 based on 21 reviews
Reviewed By CintiKidCincinnati - cincinnati
One should not miss this fine house and exhibit when visiting Jena. The garden is amazing and the house is historic and informative as well.
10. Johannisfriedhof und Friedenskirche
Overall Ratings
5 based on 6 reviews
Reviewed By Hocico - Frankfurt
Der Johannisfriedhof ist absolut sehenswert: selten hat man in Deutschland einen derart alten Friedhof, auf dem sogar noch einige schöne Grabsteine erhalten sind. Hier kann man bei einem Spaziergang wirklich sehr gut den Alltag vergessen und in die Betrachtung der alten Steine versinken. Schade nur, dass die Kirche verschlossen war - hier hätte ich mich noch gerne reingesetzt. Aber zunehmend müssen die Kirchen geschlossen bleiben, weil sich einige leider nicht da drin zu benehmen wissen.
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