Wittenberg



Wittenberg is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The official name is Lutherstadt Wittenberg for its close connection of the town with Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation. It was here that in 1517, according to the legend, Martin Luther posted his famous 95 Theses on the portal of the Schlosskirche. While historians doubt this particular part of the tale, it is certain that Luther disseminated his Theses from Wittenberg. In 2017 the town celebrated the 500th anniversary of the event. Luther Memorials in Wittenberg are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Other historical people with a close connection to Wittenberg are Luther's fellow reformer, Philipp Melanchthon, and the painter Lucas Cranach der Ältere.

Wittenberg should not be confused with the much smaller town of Wittenberge in northwestern Brandenburg.



Get in
No matter which transport you use, the two closest hubs are Berlin and Leipzig/Halle. If you aren't in the vicinity yet, you will likely pass through one of them.

By car
The A9/E51 motorway passes west of Wittenberg. Use one of the exits Klein Marzehns, Köselitz, or Coswig (Anhalt). The town lies at the crossing of the main roads B2 and B187.

By train
Hourly ICE trains on the Leipzig-Berlin line stop in Wittenberg in both directions. The ride takes 40 minutes from Leipzig Hbf or 45 from Berlin Hbf. As a slower but cheaper option you can also use RE trains, which also run about hourly. The ride takes 1 hr 15 min from Berlin, 1 hr 5 min from Leipzig, or 1 hour from Halle.

By plane
Berlin Airport and Leipzig/Halle  are the closest airports. Of these two, Berlin offers the widest range of international options.

Get around
Most of the Altstadt (Old City) is pedestrian only. All the major historical sites are within easy walking distance.

See












Mid-range




Go next

 * Dessau (35 km west), more parks of the "Garden Realm", Bauhaus school of architecture and the model housing estate of Törten, museum of Junkers aircraft factory; 35 minutes by train.
 * Torgau (50 km southeast), another place closely linked with Martin Luther and the Reformation; 1 h 10 min by train via Falkenberg.
 * Köthen (60 km west), former residence of the petty state of Anhalt-Köthen, where Johann Sebastian Bach worked and Samuel Hahnemann created homeopathy; 1 h 35 min by train via Halle.
 * Leipzig (70 km south), 30 minutes by hourly high-speed train.
 * Potsdam (70 km) and Berlin (100 km northeast), 40 minutes to Berlin main station by hourly high-speed train.
 * Halle (80 km southwest), one hour by local train.
 * Eisleben (110 km southwest), the town where Luther was born and died and the other half of the Luther World Heritage Site; no convenient public transport link.
 * Halle (80 km southwest), one hour by local train.
 * Eisleben (110 km southwest), the town where Luther was born and died and the other half of the Luther World Heritage Site; no convenient public transport link.