Tourist Attractions in Saalfeld

The "Fairies' Caves", 1km/.75mile southwest of Saalfeld, are a major tourist attraction, opened in 1914 in an unused alum shale mine. These colorful stalactitic caves display a fairytale world in a series of chambers with such names as Fairytale Cathedral, Castle of the Holy Grail, Venetian Grotto, etc.

Saalfeld's most striking landmark is the Hoher Schwarm, a relic of a four-towered castle modeled on Burg Thun in Switzerland. Close by is Schloss Kitzerstein, now occupied by a music school.

Near the Town Hall of Saalfeld and the Hofapotheke is St John's Church (begun about 1380), one of the finest hall-churches in Thuringia. It has a richly furnished interior, with a Late Gothic Holy Sepulchre, a life-size figure of John the Baptist by H. Gottwalt (a pupil of Tilman Riemenschneider) and the middle panel of a triptych of 1480. On the outside are sandstone figures and reliefs which show the influence of the Parler school.

Saalfeld's Town Hall, built after a great fire in 1517, is a handsome Late Gothic building with Renaissance additions.

Notable among the many fine burghers' houses in Saalfeld are the Stadtapotheke (Municipal Pharmacy) at Saalestrasse 11, a richly decorated Renaissance building, the Lieden, a row of medieval shops (12th-16th C., with later alterations), and old inns in the Markt.

Decorative glass from around Thuringe is on display in the Museum of Glass Art in Lauscha. Primary pieces in the collection include Christmas art and animals.

A few paces from Saalfeld's Markt, in Münzplatz, is a former Franciscan friary that now houses the Thuringian Heimatmuseum (medieval sculpture, coins minted in Saalfeld, folk traditions and country customs, history of the town and the mining industry).

The Markt in Saalfeld is surrounded by a remarkably complete range of old buildings. The most notable of these is the old Hofapotheke (Court Pharmacy), originally built in 1180 as a tower house for the governor of the town, acquired by the Town Council in 1468 for use as a warehouse and town hall, and rebuilt in its original style in 1882 after a fire.

On the Petersberg, in Saalfeld, stands the old castle of the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now occupied by local government offices (fine stucco decoration and ceiling paintings in the staircase hall and the chapel).

Near the Schloss in Saalfeld is St Gertrude's Church, with one of the finest carved altars produced by Saalfeld craftsmen. There are also fine carved altars in various village churches in the surrounding area.

Between the Hoher Schwarm and the Schloss in Saalfeld is St Nicholas's Church, the town's oldest church (12th C.), which was converted into a dwelling house in the 19th century.

Saalfeld preserves remains of its old walls and four gates, including the Oberes Tor and the Blankenburger Tor (both rebuilt in the 18th C).