City tour Kahla

Short description

1.5-kilometer city walk through the porcelain town of Kahla. From the medieval city center to Martin Luther and the Cantor of the Reformation to the porcelain tradition.

Description

Visit the gateway to the Saale Valley and experience the history of this former small farming town. Streets, medieval buildings, and the city wall are being restored through construction and renovation work. Information panels on the history of the buildings and their previous use can be found on some historical buildings.

The following sights can be visited:

Town Hall: The town hall was built around 1400 as a narrow building and has been the seat of the city authority since the Middle Ages. Until 1861, bakers and butchers had their benches and stalls in the Gothic rib vault. The mayor and council clerk had their offices on the first floor. The treasury and police were also housed in the town hall. The building was significantly expanded from 1879-1882.

St. Margarethen Church: A special feature of the church is the late medieval four-bell chime. All bells, dating from 1415 to 1516, have survived the test of time and are in their original condition. The oldest element in the church is the baptismal font, probably from the 12th century. Noteworthy are a Renaissance pulpit from the 16th century and a Late Renaissance pulpit from the 17th century.

Saaltor: It is the only remaining gate of the city fortifications. Its original appearance has been altered by the renovations carried out.

There is also the oldest stone representation of the Kahla city coat of arms. Kahla is one of the few cities that bears a female dragon slayer in its coat of arms. Margareta, a martyr and Christian saint, is shown in victorious combat with the dragon (Satan). The coat of arms can be found in several places in the city.

Marter Tower: Kahla includes an almost completely preserved city wall, which is mostly built over and therefore not always directly visible. Nevertheless, it has lost none of its imposing aura. After the Counts War in 1345, the city fortifications were strengthened. At that time, it consisted of three gates, six towers, and two gates. One of the towers that has been preserved is the Marter Tower, which was long referred to as the Löffler Tower due to an earlier misattribution.

Malt Tower: The Malt Tower is one of the preserved towers of the city wall. Behind the wall is the malt kiln. Here, the malt needed for brewing beer was dried on shelves, so-called kilns. The tower can be visited as part of a city tour.

City Museum Metzners House: The museum building Metzners House was built around 1600 and is therefore one of the oldest houses in Kahla. Unusual for the area, but still very striking and beautiful, is the half-timbered construction with fan rosettes. The museum developed in 1978 from a traditional cabinet of the porcelain factory, an exhibition of the Cultural Association, to a local museum. A closure due to building decay was inevitable in 2000. After extensive construction and renovation measures, the new city museum could be presented to the public in April 2006 - a beautiful building where old and new harmonize. With a lovingly and tastefully arranged exhibition of collections and exhibits, it has become a gem for the city of Kahla.

Experience Kahla on your own or take a guided tour through the old town and gain a deep insight and access to the otherwise closed inner courtyards.

More information

https://www.tourismus.kahla.de/historische-altstadt

Travel information

From Berlin or Munich:

Motorway A9 to exit No. 24 Hermsdorfer Kreuz.

Continue on motorway A4 towards Jena. Take exit No. 53 Jena-Göschwitz.

Continue on B88 towards Kahla.

From Frankfurt am Main or Dresden:

Motorway A4 to the Jena Göschwitz motorway interchange.

Switch to B88 towards Kahla.

Parking information

Parking at the Saalebrücke Festplatz