The town of Bad Lauchstädt is also known as Goethestadt. Its added name is because Johann Wolfgang Goethe is a revered man about town.
He wasn’t born here, nor did he die here. It’s because the place has the only theater from the days when Goethe lived here for a month in 1791. Goethe, along with Wagner (the famous composer) and Friedrich Schiller were all part of the popular artistic scene.
Today the Goethe-Theater holds summer programs for the budding (or seasoned) actor or actress, as well as putting on concerts, including music by Mozart.
Bad Lauchstädt seems like the right place to hold the annual Festival of the German Language. Once a year writers and actors hold all sorts of symposiums and read the works of Goethe, Schiller, and many other famous German authors.
This isn’t the only festival around here, either. With ten villages there seems like tons going on. Easter has its own special Market, and there are two Fountain Markets in August. The Garden Festival comes every June, and a month later there are two Summer Festivals.
I can’t leave out mentioning either the Autumn Market or Christmas Market. I don’t think you’ll find any Goethe bobble-heads, though. ;-)
To stretch your legs, take any number of walking paths out to the mid-19th century windmill (there’s always something romantic about them), or to the town’s cemetery where there are Soviet POW graves (in case you’re on a World War II history tour).
If you want a castle or something, you’ll find a few within 20km of Bad Lauchstädt — in towns like Querfurt, Mücheln, and Braunsbedra.
Walking and cycling can make you tired, so good thing this is a spa town. The Historical Spa is a great way to see how they did back in the day, as well as soak tired tootsies after sightseeing, or ponder the words of Goethe.
