Leuchtenburg

The Leuchtenburg stands on a hill above the Saale and was a fortress, then a workhouse and prison, before becoming a museum. Since 2007 it has housed Porzellanwelten, a museum on porcelain covering its Chinese origins, the European search for the formula and modern design, using the castle rooms as staged environments rather than conventional galleries. The Skywalk, opened in 2015, is a walkway projecting about twenty metres from the castle wall with a glass floor section and a surface of porcelain, ending over a drop; visitors are invited to throw a porcelain wish plate off the end into a net below.

What's there

• The Skywalk - a porcelain-surfaced walkway projecting over the valley.
• The wish plates - porcelain discs thrown from the end into a net.
• The porcelain museum - staged rooms on the material's history and design.
• The hilltop position - views over the Saale valley from the walls.

When to go

April to October; the Skywalk closes in high wind and ice. The museum opens year-round with reduced winter hours. Weekends are busy with families.

Things to know

The Skywalk closes in wind without warning. The museum is a designed experience rather than a traditional collection. Access from Kahla needs a bus or a climb.

Nearby

Jena lies north; Saalfeld is south.