Germany Guide
Thuringia
Botanischer Garten
Address: Fürstengraben
Opening time: Daily: June– Aug 9am–6pm; Sept– May 9am–5pm
Price: €3
In the idle hours between pushing at anatomy's boundaries and rechannelling the River Saale, Goethe pottered in "seclusion in the flower and plant mountains" of the Botanischer Garten, opposite the Pulverturm on Fürstengraben. He is said to have planted the ginkgo near the Inspecktorhaus in which he lived for most of his five years in Jena between 1817 and 1822, a respite from the daily grind as a Weimar state minister, which gave him the time to craft Meister Wilhelm and Faust, and indulge scientific pursuits such as his theory of colours. The scientific legacy of his stay in Jena is the focus of displays in the house as the Goethe-Gedenkstätte (April– Oct Wed– Sun 11am–3pm; €1). At the eastern fringe of the garden lies the Zeiss Planetarium (Tues– Sun times vary by event; €8; www.planetarium-jena.de). The world's oldest public planetarium, opened in 1926, now also shows psychedelic three-dimensional animations soundtracked by Pink Floyd or Queen rock-shows, screened between the standard space explorations.