Mellingen: Feininger Tower, Ilm Valley and Local History

If you’re looking for hotels in Mellingen, it’s worth first taking a look at the town itself: art history, medieval traces and the Ilm River shape different sides of this destination. Transport connections are also a point of reference when choosing where to stay. Mellingen lies in the central Ilm Valley; the Ilm and its floodplains are now used mainly for recreation and leisure.

Getting There and Finding Your Way

Mellingen is located directly by exit 50 Apolda of the A4 motorway. The town’s own railway station is on the Weimar–Gera railway line. From Mellingen, Weimar is 5 minutes away on this route, Jena 12 minutes, Erfurt 29 minutes and Gera 54 minutes. As timetables can change, check the connection for your travel date in advance.

Bus routes also connect Mellingen with the surrounding area: the town can be reached on PVG Weimarer Land routes 229, 253 and 255. For travel by car, the adjacent B87 provides another point of reference. It leads directly from Mellingen to Apolda and in the opposite direction to Bad Berka and Blankenhain. State road 2161 connects Weimarer Land with the independent city of Weimar; Weimar is easily reached from Mellingen via this route.

Feininger Tower and Local History

The Feininger Tower stands on the southeastern edge of town. Swiss artist and architect Marcel Kalberer built it in 1999. The art installation is dedicated to Lyonel Feininger and modeled on the artist’s painting style. It is also known as “Double Motif” and is based on Feininger’s 1920 painting “The Church of Mellingen.” The Feininger Cycle Route passes by the tower.

A separate way to explore the town’s history is through St. George’s Parish Church. It took its present form in 1669, based on a medieval chancel-tower church; the nave was renovated from 1724 to 1730. Mellingen Castle, a medieval castle on the B87, is also attributed to the Lords of Mellingen mentioned in 1137 and is designated a protected archaeological site. Heinrichsburg lies southeast of the town, where settlement activity dating to the Middle and Late Stone Age has been documented. The Malzdarre houses the mayor’s office and the local history room.

The Ilm, the Cycle Route and the Kirmes Festival

The Ilm and its floodplains shape Mellingen in more than just a scenic sense: they are now used mainly for recreation and leisure. Those interested in cycling can follow the Feininger Cycle Route, another direct link to the town, as its route passes by the Feininger Tower. The landscape and art installation complement one another as different aspects of Mellingen.

The Mellingen Kirmes festival in spring includes the so-called Kritzekrebs Market. The Kirmes is celebrated as a five-day festival; a week later, on Whit Sunday, a Frühschoppen gathering with traditional music and hearty fare prepared according to Thuringian purity standards takes place at the Malzdarre. If you’d like your trip to coincide with this festival, check the specific dates and program details in advance.

More Places to Explore in Weimarer Land

In Weimarer Land, the Thuringian Three Towers Trail is a circular hiking route through the protected landscape of the Middle Ilm Valley. It connects the Paulinenturm near Bad Berka, the Hainturm in the Belvederer Forest near Weimar and the Carolinenturm near Blankenhain. The Goethe Adventure Trail has a different thematic focus: it follows Goethe’s route to Charlotte von Stein, includes 12 experience stations combining nature and culture, and connects Weimar with Großkochberg. The routes therefore differ both in their stops and in their respective historical connections.

Museums and exhibitions also add to the cultural offerings in Weimarer Land. The Apolda GlockenStadt Museum explores the cultural history of bells and the region’s textile industry. Since 1995, Kunsthaus Apolda Avantgarde has presented exhibitions by international and regional artists. Its program also includes lectures, auctions, book readings and film screenings. Check the current opening hours and event dates before visiting the Kunsthaus.

Discover more destinations: Vollersroda, Weimar, Kleinschwabhausen, Nohra, Niedergrunstedt, Apolda, Berlstedt, Kapellendorf.

See the overview of the wider region: Weimarer Land.