Opening hours:
daily 12.00 - 17.00

e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
website: www.museum-steinau.de
fon: 0049/ (0)6663/ 76 05
fax: 0049/ (0)6663/ 91 88 00

The Amtshofscheune (official barn) in the courtyard of the former Grimm family estate now houses the Steinau Museum. The exhibition traces the history of the town, which was significantly shaped by the old trade route between Frankfurt and Leipzig – the VIA REGIA.

bookable year-round
duration: 1,5 hours

contact:
Museum Bautzen
Kornmarkt 1
D-02625 Bautzen
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website: Museum Bautzen
fon: 0049/(0)3591/49 85 0
fax: 0049/(0)3591/49 85 40

The Nicolai Tower (Sorbian: Mikławska wěža) is a gate tower and part of the northern city fortifications of Bautzen. It is located directly next to the Nicolai Cemetery and the ruins of the Nicolai Church and is the only city entrance still completely preserved in its original form. Bautzen's Nicolai Tower and Nicolaipforte are directly connected to Gerberstraße, the historic VIA REGIA, via the Nicolai Steps.

Since April 2011, the building has presented the history of the VIA REGIA in the Bautzen region on six levels:

Level 6 – Nicolai Tower and Nicolaipforte
Level 5 – The status of the road
Level 4 – The route of the road, the infrastructure of the road
Level 3 – The route of the road
Level 2 – The use of the road
Level 1 – The image of the road

Topics such as "The Image and Use of the Road" provide a general introduction to the reader. It briefly explains how a road was created and how it has changed up to the present day. The description of its use mentions transportation purposes and means, which raise questions about road construction.
With the topic of "War and Road," a deliberate step away from conventional road use is taken to indicate the complex role of roads. Finally, a glimpse into the future is offered, alluding to the planning area that, with the title VIA REGIA, describes the European Union's Transport Corridor III.
Two further chapters address the route of the VIA REGIA. On historical maps, it is marked with western and eastern boundaries in the Bautzen region, and partially visualized in its current situation through aerial photographs. The description of its route through the city of Bautzen also presents evidence of its infrastructure.
A key aspect of the VIA REGIA is its sovereign position. Its status as a "royal road" and "main road" was regulated for centuries by decrees issued by the regional princes. The towns were also involved in enforcing this status. The text also addresses this with examples.
Finally, the tower itself is described in its chronicle and construction history, and its position in relation to the VIA REGIA and the city fortifications is explained.

contact:
Förderverein VIA REGIA Architekturmodellbau Königsbrück e.V.
Am Schlosspark 19
D-01936 Königsbrück
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
website: www.viaregia-architekturmodelle.de
fon: 0049/ (0)35795/ 45 774
fax: 0049/ (0)35795/ 36 022

The VIA REGIA Architectural Model Building Königsbrück invites all friends of the VIA REGIA history to admire the detailed architectural models of churches, town halls, towers, historically significant half-timbered houses, and bastions created in Germany and Poland since 2000. Lovingly crafted, unique artistic pieces have been created and are available for viewing.

contact:
Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein Gotha
Schloss Friedenstein
D-99867 Gotha
Website: www.stiftungfriedenstein.de
fon 0049/ (0)3621/ 82 340
fax 0049/ (0)3621/ 82 34 57

The first documented mention of the settlement of Gotha dates back to the period of Frankish domination. In 775, King Charlemagne made "villa gothaha" subject to royalties to the Hersfeld Monastery. Shortly after 1180, the settlement of Gotha was granted city rights by the Landgrave of Thuringia. Under the Ludovingians, Gotha became one of the main mints of Thuringian bracteates. The town, located on the Via Regia, quickly developed into a center of industrial production, especially the woad trade.
The Museum of Regional History has a dedicated room to the Via Regia in Gotha within the permanent exhibition "From the Middle Ages to the Age of Enlightenment (750-1800)."