Veste Coburg

The Veste covers a hilltop above Coburg behind a triple ring of walls, one of the largest surviving fortresses in Germany. Martin Luther stayed here from April to October 1530, unable to attend the Diet of Augsburg himself, and worked on his translation and correspondence in rooms that are shown as the Lutherzimmer. The collections are unusually strong for a provincial museum: a large holding of prints and drawings including Dürer and Cranach, one of the most important collections of historic glass in Europe, and an armoury with tournament armour and a collection of Venetian and German glass. A carriage museum occupies the outbuildings.

What you actually see

• The Lutherzimmer - rooms used during his six-month stay in 1530.
• The triple walls - a large fortress circuit around the hilltop.
• The print collection - Dürer, Cranach and a substantial graphic holding.
• The armoury - tournament armour and historic weapons.

When to go

April to October; the museums close Mondays and reduce hours in winter. The walk up from the town takes about half an hour through the Hofgarten.

Honest expectations

Parts of the fortress have been under long-running restoration with sections closed. The climb is steep. The collections are large and need time.

Nearby

Coburg town lies below; Vierzehnheiligen is south.