Goethe-Festival Week 2026
August 28 to September 6
In 2026, Ilmenau will celebrate the 250th anniversary of Goethe’s arrival!
Goethe once raved about Ilmenau: “I have always loved being here, and I still do…”
On May 3, 2026, the 250th anniversary of his first visit to the city will be commemorated . To mark this special occasion, Ilmenau will be entirely dedicated to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Numerous events, exhibitions, readings, and guided tours invite locals and visitors alike to explore Goethe’s footsteps and experience his work in a variety of ways.
The Goethe Year 2026 begins on May 3 with the opening event in Weimar. From August 28 to September 6, 2026, it will reach its climax with the Goethe Festival Week in Ilmenau! Look forward to a diverse cultural program with many highlights. A true celebration for all culture lovers.
On August 28, Goethe’s 277th birthday, visitors to the Goethe museums (GoetheStadtMuseum Ilmenau, Museum Jagdhaus Gabelbach, Museum Goethehaus Stützerbach) will receive free admission. In addition, all three museums will also be open on Mondays during the Goethe Festival Week.
Program Overview
From August 28 to September 6, a guided tour of the Felsenkeller will take place daily at 5:00 p.m. The meeting point is in front of Hotel Tanne, Lindenstraße 38.
Tickets for the events are available at the Ilmenau Information Center or at the Ticketshop Thüringen.
Holders of the WeimarCard Plus and the Thüringer Wald Card receive a 20% discount on the event price.
Events during Goethe-Year
| Program in May | |||
| May 3, 2026 | 10:00 am | On behalf of the Duke, Goethe travels from Weimar to Ilmenau | Weimar |
| 5:30 pm | Ceremonial reception in honor of Goethe in front of the Town Hall | Market Square Ilmenau (Am Markt 1) | |
| 6:00 pm | Commemorative address “Graceful valley! You evergreen grove!” by Prof. Dr. Jochen Golz | GoetheStadtMuseum Ilmenau | |
| May 17, 2026 | 10:00 am | International Museum Day (with discounted admission to the Goethe Museums) | GoetheStadtMuseum, Museum Jagdhaus Gabelbach, Museum Jagdhaus Stützerbach |
| 11:00 am | Exhibition opening "Goethe's arrival in Ilmenau - an adventurous journey 250 years ago" | GoetheStadtMuseum Ilmenau | |
| May 28, 2026 | 6:30 pm | Book reading "When Germany was not yet Germany - a journey into Goethe's time" with Bruno Preisdörfer | GoetheStadtMuseum Ilmenau |
| Programm im Juli | |||
| July 22, 2026 | 6:30 pm | “Goethe in Rome – Life and Work Among Artists During His Italian Journey” | GoetheStadtMuseum |
Events during Goethe-Festival Week
| Program in August | |||
| August 28, 2026 | 11:30 am | Opening of the Goethe-Festival Week | Hennebrunnen Ilmenau |
| 3:00 pm | Cultural talks | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| 4:00 pm | Themed tour "With the Schrötern in search of historical traces" | Ilmenau-Information | |
| 6:30 pm | Lecture "Goethe as a Mandarin" by Dr. Manfred Osten | GoetheStadtMuseum Ilmenau | |
| August 29, 2026 | starting 10:00 am | Lectures, music and museum tour presented by the Goethegesellschaft Ilmenau-Stützerbach e.V. | Kulturscheune Stützerbach |
| 12:00 pm | Cultural talks | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| 1:00 pm | Guided tour in the Museum Goethehaus Stützerbach | Museum Goethehaus Stützerbach | |
| August 30, 2026 | 10:00 am | Forest education event: "Kicki on Historical Trails - Into the Forest with Goethe" | Museum Jagdhaus Gabelbach |
| 11:00 am | Themed tour: Goethe and the Mining in Ilmenau | Ilmenau-Information | |
| 2:00 pm | Guided tour of the special exhibition with museum director Kathrin Kunze | GoetheStadtMuseum Ilmenau | |
| 3:00 pm | Cultural talks | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| August 31, 2026 | 10:00 am | Guided hike on the Goethe trail (Part 1 with an overnight stay at the BERG & SPA Hotel Gabelbach) | Ilmenau-Information |
| 11:00 am | Cultural talks | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| starting 2:30 pm | Coffee and conversation with Goethe | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| Program in September | |||
| September 1, 2026 | 10:00 am | Guided hike on the Goethe trail (Part 2) | BERG & SPA Hotel Gabelbach |
| starting 2:30 pm | Coffee and conversation with Goethe | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| 4:00 pm | Cultural talks | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| September 2, 2026 |
11:00 am |
Cultural talks | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz |
|
starting 2:30 pm |
Coffee and conversation with Goethe | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
|
6:30 pm |
Recitations: "Goethes Journey to Italy, back home and within himself" with Martin Strauch, accompanied by music (Franziska Steinecke, Marco Onofri) | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| September 3, 2026 | starting 2:30 pm | Coffee and conversation with Goethe | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz |
| 3:00 pm | "Writing like in Goethe's time - an Introduction to Calligraphy" | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| 4:00 pm | Cultural talks | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| 5:00 pm | "Writing like in Goethe's time - an Introduction to Calligraphy" | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| 6:30 pm | Poetry slam featuring original texts inspired by Goethe's poem "Ilmenau" | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| September 4, 2026 | 12:00 pm | Cultural talks | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz |
| starting 2:30 pm | Coffee and conversation with Goethe | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| 4:00 pm | City and museum tour through Ilmenau and the GoetheStadtMuseum | Ilmenau-Information | |
| September 5, 2026 | starting 10:00 am | "Goethe in Europe" The Network of European Goethe Trails e.V. | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz |
| starting 10:00 am | "Playing as in Goethe's time" | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| 11:00 am | Themed tour "With the Schrötern in search of historical traces" | Ilmenau-Information | |
| 11:00 am | children's city rally | Ilmenau-Information | |
| starting 2:30 pm | Coffee and conversation with Goethe | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| 4:00 pm | Cultural talks | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| September 6, 2026 | starting 10:00 am | "Goethe in Europe" The Network of European Goethe Trails e.V. | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz |
| starting 10:00 am | "Playing as in Goethe's time" | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| 11:00 am | Cultural talks | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| 2:00 pm | "Wandrers Nachtlied" in the Languages of the World | Wetzlarer Platz | |
| 6:30 pm | Romantic concert "Leise flehen meine Lieder" with the duo >con emozione< | BERG & SPA Hotel Gabelbach | |
| September 13, 2026 | 10:00 am | Open Monument Day with free admission to the three Goethe museums | GoetheStadtMuseum, Museum Jagdhaus Gabelbach, Museum Jagdhaus Stützerbach |
| 3:30 pm | Goethe hiking trail to the table | Alte Försterei, Wetzlarer Platz | |
| 5:00 pm | Finissage of the special exhibition "Goethe's arrival in Ilmenau - adventure journey 250 years ago" | GoetheStadtMuseum | |
