Luther House Eisenach

The Luther House in Eisenach (Lutherhaus Eisenach) is one of the oldest surviving half-timbered houses in Thuringia and one of Europe's most important Reformation sites. According to tradition, young Martin Luther lived here as a schoolboy with the Cotta family. Today the house holds an award-winning exhibition on Luther's Bible translation, explaining how one book helped shape the modern German language. Paired with the Wartburg castle above town, it makes Eisenach an ideal stop for anyone curious about the Reformation.

Luther's "dear town"

From 1498 to 1501, Luther attended the Latin school of St. George's in Eisenach to prepare for university in Erfurt. During those years he lodged with the influential Cotta and Schalbe families, who owned this house. Luther later called Eisenach his "dear town." He returned in 1521–22, hiding at the Wartburg after refusing to recant at the Diet of Worms, and there he translated the New Testament into German.

The house is run by a foundation of the Protestant Church in Central Germany and carries the European Heritage Label. It reopened in 2015 after a major renovation that made it fully accessible for the first time.

What to see

• "Luther and the Bible": The permanent exhibition, updated in 2022, uses interactive displays to explore why Luther translated the Bible and what impact it had. Allow at least an hour.
• A difficult chapter: Since 2019, an exhibition has examined the church-run "Dejudaization Institute" based in Eisenach from 1939 to 1945, which tried to strip Jewish roots from Christian theology.
• Ai Weiwei's "man in a cube": The Chinese artist created this sculpture for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.

Tickets and opening hours

As of October 2026, the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including holidays, and closed on Mondays. It takes an annual winter break from December 24 to January 31.

Admission is €11 for adults, €7 reduced and €9 for seniors; children up to age six enter free. A family ticket costs €22. The Bach-Luther ticket (€23.50) also covers the nearby Bach House. Tickets are valid for 24 hours and can be bought at the desk or online.

How to get there

Eisenach lies in western Thuringia on the main rail line between Frankfurt and Berlin. ICE trains stop at Eisenach Hauptbahnhof, under two hours from Frankfurt, and Erfurt is a short regional ride away. From the station, the museum at Lutherplatz 8 is an easy walk into the old town. Bus line 3, the "Luthershuttle," stops at Markt/Georgenkirche, about 250 meters away. Drivers can use the parking lot right in front of the museum or the nearby garages.

Families and accessibility

Kids get their own audio guide, in which two owls lead a treasure hunt through the museum; devices are available on loan. The house is certified accessible, with an elevator, an accessible restroom and seating throughout the exhibitions.

Nearby

• Wartburg Castle: A UNESCO World Heritage Site where Luther translated the New Testament.
• Bach House: A museum dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach, who was born in Eisenach.
• St. George's Church: On the market square, where Bach was baptized.