The important thing is what I offer you, not my name

The pretty town is characterised by shops with creative goods, cosy wine shops, authentic inns, sophisticated restaurants and cake shops that still pursue their craft with pride. THE souvenir to take home is plum butter – the people of Mühlhuasen say that it tastes wonderful on bread with a special sour cream. And on pancakes, as holidaymakers are aware. 

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Ratsstraße in Mühlhausen, ©Tino Sieland, Wirtschaftsbetriebe Mühlhausen GmbH, Geschäftsführer Martin Fromm

The destination abounds with historic locations relating to the subjects of “the Free Imperial City” and “the German Peasants’ War” as well as with Gothic churches and other antiquated buildings. The public guided tours offered by the Tourist Information Centre explain what the “Free Imperial city” status meant for Mühlhausen – they generally start in the historic town hall. This grand building combines Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance elements. One work of art immediately catches the eye: the larger-than-life painting entitled “Müntzer setzt den Ewigen Rat ein” (Müntzer Instates the Eternal Council) by the painter Wilhelm Otto Pitthan. In this painting, the artist assigned an important role to the radical Reformer Thomas Müntzer, who was a leader of the 1525 peasant uprising in Bad Frankenhausen that became known as the German Peasants’ War.

The council chamber with fascinating wall and ceiling paintings from the 15th and 16th century is where the town councillors used to meet – as soon as you enter the room, you will get a sense that discussions took place and decisions were made here with a kind of concentrated energy. The old chancellery of the town hall, a small, simply furnished room, is where the 22-year-old Johann Sebastian Bach signed his organist contract in 1707.

Books that bring the past to life

A guided tour of the Imperial City Archive in the historic town hall is another unique experience. The many rows of antique wooden cabinets house around 200 running metres of historical documents, if they were to be lined up next to one another and measured. You might expect neatly written entries, but many pages are dominated by hasty deletions, additions and annotations. One legacy of inestimable value is the Mühlhäuser Rechtsbuch (the Mühlhausen Book of Law), which was composed around 800 years ago and is one of the oldest medieval legal documents in the German-speaking region.

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Tip for literature lovers and historians

Visit St James’ Church, which is now no longer used as a place of worship and houses a library over several floors. On the top floor, you will be surprised to find works that are several hundred years old but can simply be picked up and read, including a series of dictionaries from 1744 and books about pamphlets from the time of the German Peasants’ War and the Reformation.

Learn about the different aspects of the German Peasants' War

St Mary’s Church in Mühlhausen’s upper town is a worthy location for the “St. Marien Museum I Müntzer Memorial”. The theologian and radical Reformer Thomas Müntzer preached in this church in 1525 and supported the peasants, craftsman and citizens in their cause of obtaining more fundamental rights and freedoms. If you want to delve even deeper into the subject, it is worth visiting the Peasants’ War Museum Kornmarktkirche. 

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“freiheyt 1525 – 500th Anniversary of the German Peasants’ War”

Thuringian State Exhibition 2025

From 26 April until 19 October 2025, everything will revolve around the Thuringian State Exhibition in Mühlhausen. The various cycles of the German Peasants’ War will be presented in detail in four locations that build upon one another. Throughout this period, there will be a wide variety of initiatives linked to the theme, for example illuminations, special talks and customised guided tours, concerts, integration into the funfair week, and much more.

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Cultural delights for the eyes, ears and soul 

Mühlhausen’s eleven Gothic churches are not only worth a visit, but in some cases also offer an impressive setting for ecclesiastical and cultural events: the imposing Church of Blaise the Divine, for example, which is located in Mühlhausen’s old town centre and can be seen from far away, hosts organ devotions once a week between Pentecost and the Harvest Festival. The extraordinary thing about this organ is that it was made according to the basic designs of Johann Sebastian Bach, which were later extended. 
The easiest way to get a grasp of Mühlhausen’s timeline is to visit the Museum of Cultural History at the beginning of your stay. You will find the best view of the old town on the hill with the Lion Monument, which is a short distance behind this museum. From Easter to October, you can walk along 370 metres of the almost completely preserved town walls. 

Explore the surrounding arrea

If you want more nature, hike to the well house at the Popperode spring, which feeds the stream that flows through Mühlhausen – a magical place. If you are good at walking, you may also make it to the 1st German Bratwurst Museum, which can also be reached by car. On the large site, you can fortify yourself with a Thuringian bratwurst and then find out about the history of the famous sausage. The 130-square-kilometre Hainich National Park, which is located nearby, is considered to be Germany’s largest coherent deciduous forest area – perfect for hiking! Or you can go for a ride on a bicycle or e-bike. The 25-kilometre stage of the Unstrut Cycle Path from or to Bad Langensalza begins – or ends, depending on your point of view – in Mühlhausen. 

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Forest promenade in the Hainich, ©Florian Trykowski, Thüringer Tourismus GmbH

Header Picture: ©Tino Sieland, Wirtschaftsbetriebe Mühlhausen GmbH, Geschäftsführer Martin Fromm
Picture in the tip block: ©Tino Sieland, Stadtverwaltung Mühlhausen
Graphic in the website block: Sebastian Köpcke, Mühlhäuser Museen