Germany
Wittenberg
Wittenberg: Luther's Town on the Elbe
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is the town on the Elbe where Martin Luther lived and taught and where the Reformation is usually said to have begun, and its Luther sites are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the old town, the main historic sites are within easy walking distance of one another.
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Good to know
Arriving in Wittenberg
Your cruise line will tell you where your Elbe river ship ties up and how far it is to the old town. Most of the old town is closed to traffic, and its main historic sites are within easy walking distance of one another.
- The tourist information office is on Schlossplatz, opposite the Castle Church.
- The Luther House, the reformer's home and the largest museum of Reformation history, is closed for renovation, so check before you go. The Augusteum next door and the Melanchthon House at Collegienstraße 60 are open; the Melanchthon House is closed on Mondays.
- Wittenberg is about 60 km north of Leipzig and about 90 km southwest of Berlin.
Wittenberg on Your Own
Allow time for one museum and a walk between the churches.
- The Castle Church: The church where Luther is said to have posted his theses was built between 1496 and 1506. Its wooden doors burned in 1760 and were replaced in 1858 with bronze doors bearing the Latin text of the theses. Luther and Melanchthon are buried inside.
- The market square: The Renaissance town hall faces statues of Luther, by Johann Gottfried Schadow, and of Melanchthon.
- St. Mary's: Luther often preached in the town church, which has a painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder showing the reformers.
- The Cranach courts: At Markt 4 and Schlossstraße 1, where the painter Lucas Cranach the Elder lived and ran a print shop, a historic press shows how printing was done.
- The Melanchthon House: The house at Collegienstraße 60 was built for Melanchthon in 1536, and he lived there until his death in 1560. In October 2026 it was open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed on Mondays, and a single ticket was 5 euros, so check before you go.
- Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own.
- ID: Carrying ID is not a legal requirement in Germany, but if you cannot show ID when asked, the police can take you to fetch your passport.
Tipping in Germany
Rounding up the bill is commonplace in Germany, in restaurants, bars and taxis. Tips are not mandatory but are always appreciated. The currency is the euro.
- Tips rarely go above 10 percent of the bill. Often people simply round up, for example from 13.80 to 15 euros.
- For taxi drivers, 5 to 10 percent is usual, and at least a euro.
The Reformation Today
Wittenberg's official name, Lutherstadt Wittenberg, reflects its place in the Reformation, and in 2017 the town marked the 500th anniversary of Luther's theses. Its churches and houses still show how the reformers lived and worked.
- The oldest Protestant vicarage: The Bugenhagen House beside the town church is the oldest Protestant vicarage in the world. Johannes Bugenhagen, the first pastor, lived there until his death in 1558.
- A European title: In 2014 the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe named Wittenberg a European City of the Reformation.
- Printing: At the Cranach courts, texts and linocut illustrations are still printed by letterpress.
- Hundertwasser: An old school building on Schillerstraße was remodeled in the colorful style of the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser in 1999.
A Brief History
Wittenberg became a seat of power when Elector Frederick the Wise made it his residence, and in 1502 he founded a university here. Within two decades Luther, its professor of theology, had started the Reformation.
- Beginnings, 1180 to 1293: The settlement is first mentioned in 1180 as a village founded by Flemish settlers. It became the residence of the dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg in 1260 and received its town charter in 1293.
- Frederick the Wise: Elector Frederick III, who ruled from 1486 to 1525, made Wittenberg his residence, rebuilt his palace and built the Castle Church between 1496 and 1506.
- The university, 1502: Frederick founded the University of Wittenberg. Luther became a professor of theology in 1508, and Melanchthon arrived to teach Greek in 1518.
- The theses, 1517: On 31 October 1517, by tradition, Luther nailed his 95 theses against the sale of indulgences to the door of the Castle Church. In 1520 he publicly burned the papal bull against him outside the Elster Gate, a spot now marked by an oak tree.
- The first Protestant service, 1521: Justus Jonas and Andreas Karlstadt held the first Protestant service in the town church.
- Wars and a fortress: In 1760, during the Seven Years' War, a bombardment burned the Castle Church. Napoleon had the town refortified in 1813, the Prussians stormed it in 1814, and it became part of Prussia a year later.
- The 20th century: The town center was largely spared in the Second World War, though a nearby aircraft factory worked by forced laborers and prisoners of war was bombed. Wittenberg was part of East Germany from 1949 until the peaceful revolution of 1989.
- World Heritage, 1996: The Luther and Melanchthon houses and other sites in Wittenberg and Eisleben were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1996.
- To learn more ashore: The Melanchthon House at Collegienstraße 60 and its newer museum building show the life and work of the reformer.
Wittenberg with Children
Wittenberg works for families who like a story with their sightseeing, and its old town is mostly closed to traffic, which makes walking with children easier.
- Younger children: Find the Hundertwasser school on Schillerstraße, remodeled in Hundertwasser's colorful style, and the statues of Luther and Melanchthon in the market square.
- School age: At the Cranach courts, a historic press shows how books and pictures were printed in Luther's day.
- Teenagers: Read the Latin of the 95 theses on the bronze doors of the Castle Church, then talk about what historians doubt in the story of Luther nailing them up.
Accessible Travel
Most of Wittenberg's old town is pedestrian-only, and the main sights are close together. The Melanchthon House is a historic house with a newer museum building beside it, so ask about steps and lifts before you go.
- Ask your cruise line about the distance and surface between the ship and the old town.
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