Lutherstadt Wittenberg

Martin Luther taught at Wittenberg's university and lived in the town from 1508; the Castle Church door on which he is said to have posted ninety-five theses in 1517 burned in 1760 and was replaced in 1858 by bronze doors carrying the Latin text. Whether he posted them at all is debated by historians, though he certainly sent them to the archbishop that day. Luther is buried in the church. His house, a former monastery he was given, holds the largest Reformation museum in the world. Lucas Cranach the Elder lived and worked in the town and his workshop buildings survive. UNESCO listed the Luther sites in 1996.

What you actually see

• The bronze doors - an 1858 replacement carrying the ninety-five theses.
• The Luther House - his home and the largest Reformation museum.
• The Cranach houses - the painter's workshop and courtyards.
• The town church - where he preached, with a Cranach altarpiece.

When to go

April to October; the Reformation anniversary on 31 October fills the town. Museums close Mondays in winter. Anniversary years are much busier.

Honest expectations

Whether the theses were posted on the door is genuinely disputed. The doors are nineteenth century. Museums have separate tickets.

Nearby

Dessau lies west; Berlin is northeast.