Merseburg, Germany
Merseburg is a town of 34,780 people in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, founded in 881.
Why visit Merseburg
Townapedia lists 82 museums and landmarks, 29 parks and trails, 127 places to eat, 23 places to stay and 7 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Saale-Elster Viaduct, Domstadt-Kino Merseburg, Merseburg Cathedral and Deutsches Chemie-Museum Merseburg.
Weather in Merseburg
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Merseburg
Merseburg (German pronunciation: [ˈmɛʁzəbʊʁk] ) is a town in central Germany in southern Saxony-Anhalt, situated on the river Saale, and approximately 14 km south of Halle (Saale) and 30 km west of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg.
From the Wikipedia article Merseburg (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Merseburg on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Photos of Merseburg
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Things to do7
Saale-Elster Viaduct
Bridge · 6.3 km
Railway bridge in Central Germany
Hofladen Sachse
Farm and orchard · 2.1 km
11 Kollenbeyer Weg, Merseburg
Museums and landmarks82
Merseburg Cathedral
Monument and historic site · Lutheran · 0.9 km
Im Jahr 1021 von Kaiser Heinrich II geweiht (letzter Herrscher der Ottonen-Dynastie)
7 Domplatz, Merseburg
Apr-Oct: Mo-Sa 09:00-18:00; Apr-Oct: Su 11:00-18:00; Nov-Mar:...
Deutsches Chemie-Museum Merseburg
Museum · 2.1 km
11 Rudolf-Bahro-Straße, Merseburg
Apr-Oct: Mo-Th 10:00-16:00 "Führungen können auch außerhalb dieser...
Ständehaus Merseburg
Monument and historic site · 0.9 km
Ständehaus (ehemaliges Parlamentsgebäude des Provinziallandtages der preußischen Provinz Sachsen), südliche Ansicht vom Domplatz,...
2 Oberaltenburg, Merseburg
Wasserturm Bahnhof
Monument and historic site
Wasserturm, südlich des Empfangsgebäude, Bahnhofsvorplatz in Merseburg
Bahnhofsvorplatz, Merseburg
Dombrunnen
Monument and historic site · 0.9 km
Dombrunnen südwestlich des Doms, Domplatz in Merseburg, Umlaufwasser mit Pumpe aus Behälter
Eulenturm
Monument and historic site · 0.6 km
Eulenturm, Teil der mittelalterlichen Stadtbefestigung in Merseburg
Krummes Tor
Monument and historic site · 0.8 km
Krummes Tor, Teil des äußeren Mauerring der Befestigung der Domburg, Domstraße in Merseburg
Bauruine der Schleusentreppe Wüsteneutzsch
Monument and historic site · 6.3 km
Bad Dürrenberg burial
Monument and historic site · 8.5 km
Mesolithic burial of a female shaman and an infant
70 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds29
Marina Merseburger Rudergesellschaft
Marina and boat launch · 2.5 km
Marinekameraden Merseburg e.V.
Marina and boat launch · 1.0 km
Wassersportfreunde Merseburg e.V.
Marina and boat launch · 1.0 km
17 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes127
Bootshaus
Restaurant · German · 2.5 km
39 Am Stadtpark, Merseburg
Mo, We-Fr 16:00-22:00; Sa 10:30-14:00, 16:30-22:00; Su 11:00-15:00
Historischer Weinkeller Wallendorf
Restaurant · Regional · 6.1 km
Mo-Fr 17:30-22:00; Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
MAXX Restaurant
Restaurant · German, Regional · 4.1 km
41A Spergauer Straße
We-Fr 11:30-14:00, 17:00-23:00; Sa 11:30-23:00; Su 11:30-14:30
Restaurant Wilhelm B. 18-32
Restaurant · German
18-32 Wilhelm-Busch-Passage, Merseburg
Mo, We-Fr 17:00-22:00; Sa, Su 11:00-14:00, 17:00-22:00
Ristorante Heiterer Blick
Restaurant · Italian · 2.6 km
105 Friedrich-Ebert-Straße
Mo-Sa 11:00-15:00, 17:30-23:00
Zen Garden
Restaurant · Chinese, Sushi, Vietnamese
2 Teichstraße, Merseburg
Tu-Su 11:30-14:30,17:00-22:00; Mo off
Zum Schloß Löpitz
Restaurant · German · 4.1 km
3 Am Löpitzer Schloß, Schkopau
Mar-Dec: We,Th 11:30-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:30-22:00; Su 11:30-19:00
115 more on the map.
History
Merseburg was first mentioned in 850. King Henry the Fowler built a royal palace at Merseburg; in the 933 Battle of Riade, he gained his great victory over the Hungarians in the vicinity.
Read more of the history
Thietmar, appointed in 973, became the first bishop of the newly created bishopric of Prague in Bohemia. Prague had been part of the archbishopric of Mainz for a hundred years before that. From 968 until the Protestant Reformation, Merseburg was the seat of the Bishop of Merseburg, and in addition to being for a time the residence of the margraves of Meissen, it was a favorite residence of the German kings during the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries. Fifteen diets were held here during the Middle Ages, during which time its fairs enjoyed the importance which was afterwards transferred to those of Leipzig. After Ekkehard's treacherous death on 3 April 1002, Bolesław I Chrobry took Merseburg and Meissen, and then Milsko with Bautzen and Strehla, with the help of the local Slavic population. The German princes accepted the sovereignty of the Polish prince in these areas. Some historians believe that since the convention in Gniezno, the Brave might have had certain rights to the German throne after Otto III, guaranteed by some succession document. Merseburg was later the site of a failed assassination attempt on Polish ruler Bolesław I Chrobry in 1002. The town suffered severely during the German Peasants' War and also during the Thirty Years' War.
From 1657 to 1738 Merseburg was the residence of the Dukes of Saxe-Merseburg, after which it fell to the Electorate of Saxony. In 1815 following the Napoleonic Wars, the town became part of the Prussian Province of Saxony.
Merseburg is where the Merseburg Incantations were rediscovered in 1841. Written down in Old High German, they are hitherto the only preserved German documents with a heathen theme. One of them is a charm to release warriors caught during battle, and the other is a charm to heal a horse's sprained foot.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Merseburg was transformed into an industrial town, largely due to the pioneering work done by Carl Bosch and Friedrich Bergius, who laid down the scientific fundamentals of the catalytic high-pressure ammonia synthesis from 1909 to 1913. The nearby Leuna works continue this tradition of chemical industry. The Merseburger Tageblatt was published as a local newspaper in Merseburg.
Merseburg was badly damaged in World War II. In 23 air raids, 6,200 dwellings were completely or partly destroyed. The historic town centre was almost completely destroyed.
Briefly part of Saxony-Anhalt after the war, it was then administered within the Bezirk Halle in East Germany. It became part of Saxony-Anhalt again after the reunification of Germany.
From the History section of Merseburg on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Merseburg
Geography
The town Merseburg consists of Merseburg proper and the following four Ortschaften or municipal divisions:
Venenien was incorporated into Merseburg on 1 January 1949. The parish Kötzschen followed on 1 July 1950. Since 30 May 1994, Meuschau is part of Merseburg. Trebnitz, previously part of Kreypau, followed in 2003. Beuna was annexed on 1 January 2009. Geusa is a part of Merseburg since 1 January 2010.
Arts and culture
The Merseburg Palace Festival with the Historical Pageant, the International Palace-Moat Concerts, Merseburg Organ Days and the Puppet Show Festival Week are events celebrated every year.
From the Wikipedia article Merseburg, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Merseburg
Jawed KarimAmerican entrepreneur, co-founder of YouTube (born 1979)Photo: Picture taken by Robin Brown..., Public domain
Heidi ReichinnekGerman politicianPhoto: Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Charles Frederick IIDuke of Württemberg-OelsPhoto: Unidentified engraver, Public domain
Szymon Bogumił ZugPolish architectPhoto: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain- Wolf-Heinrich Graf von HelldorfGerman politician (1896-1944)
- Elisabeth SchumannGerman soprano (1888–1952)
- Marcus BeckerCanoe racer
- Martina JäschkeEast German diver
- Klaus TennstedtGerman conductor (1926-1998)
- Christian II, Duke of Saxe-MerseburgDuke of Saxe-Merseburg
- Heinrich, Duke of Saxe-MerseburgDuke of Saxe-Merseburg
- Johann Christian BuxbaumGerman physician, botanist and traveller (1693-1730)
Born in Merseburg, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay23
Merseburger Schlosshotel
Motel and hotel · 1.0 km
4 Oberaltenburg, Merseburg
Churches and places of worship35
Shopping38
Gas and EV charging13
Schools, colleges and libraries25
Healthcare13
Map of Merseburg
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 km away.
- Bad Dürrenberg 8 km southeast, about 8 min by car
- Halle (Saale) 14 km north, about 14 min by car
- Schkeuditz 17 km east, about 17 min by car
- Weißenfels 17 km south, about 17 min by car
- Markranstädt 17 km east, about 17 min by car
- Naumburg 26 km southwest, about 26 min by car
- Leipzig 27 km east, about 27 min by car
- Markkleeberg 28 km east, about 28 min by car
- Delitzsch 31 km northeast, about 31 min by car
- Zeitz 35 km south, about 35 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Merseburg
Keep exploring
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- J31 673 Merseburg, Schloss und Dom, Neumarktkirche, Falk2, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Merseburg Bahnhofsvorplatz Wasserturm-01, Radler59 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wasserturm Bahnhof Merseburg, Olaf Meister, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bahnhofs Unterführung Merseburg 04, Olaf Meister, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bahnhofs Unterführung Merseburg 03, Olaf Meister, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bahnhofs Unterführung Merseburg, Olaf Meister, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Merseburg Bahnhofsvorplatz Wasserturm-02, Radler59 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bahnhofs Unterführung Merseburg 02, Olaf Meister, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MerseburgBf, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Merseburg Lauchstädter Straße 11 Villa, Catatine, CC0
- Merseburg Bahnhof Wasserturm 2026, Oberlausitzerin64, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MerseburgZufriedenheit, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Merseburg, Teichstraße 9, Catatine, CC0
- Merseburg, Germany - panoramio (75), superdragon67, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Merseburg, Germany - panoramio (76), superdragon67, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MerseburgBusbf, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Merseburg, Germany - panoramio (74), superdragon67, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bahnhof, 1, Merseburg, Saalekreis, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MerseburgBf-Bau, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Merseburg, Geusaer Straße 13, Catatine, CC0
- Merseburg, König-Heinrich-Str. Brunnen, Catatine, CC0
- MerseburgGotthSixti, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Merseburg Domstadtkino, Catatine, CC0
- Merseburg Preussischer Ganzmeilenobelisk-01, Radler59 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Merseburg Preussischer Ganzmeilenobelisk-02, Radler59 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Merseburg Preussischer Ganzmeilenobelisk Neu, Radler59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Merseburg, der Vordere Gotthardteich, Bild 1, Dguendel, CC BY 4.0
- Merseburg, Park VordererGotthardteich, Catatine, CC0
- Straßenbahnhaltestelle Zentrum, 1, Merseburg, Saalekreis, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Linie 5, 2, Merseburg, Saalekreis, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MerseburgKliaWinter, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Merseburg, König-Heinrich-Straße, Catatine, CC0
- Merseburg, Germany - panoramio (16), Foto Fitti, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Merseburg Park Hölle-Klia, Catatine, CC0
- Linie 5, 1, Merseburg, Saalekreis, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Straßenbahnhaltestelle Zentrum, 2, Merseburg, Saalekreis, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MerseburgNorbert, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MerseburgNorbert2, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Halle02.2013 008, Nordhammer, CC0
- DöllnitzKirche, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hauptgebäude der Hochschule Merseburg, SPOe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- LeunaPlastikpark20, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Deutsches Chemie-Museum Merseburg, Eingangsbereich, Reinhard Ferdinand, CC0
- MER-StThomas1, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Zechsches Palais Merseburg 2017, Olaf Meister, CC BY-SA 4.0
- DaspigKirche2, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Leuna Kirche, Joeb07, CC BY 3.0
- GöhlitzschKirche1, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Reipisch Kriegerdenkmal 001, X-Weinzar, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Merseburg, Bahnhofstraße 14, St. Norbert, 001, Tilman2007, CC BY-SA 3.0
- FranklebenSchloß-Aug2014, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ReipischKirche2, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kirche-Kreypau, Tnemtsoni, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Korbetha Kirche, Joeb07, CC BY 3.0
- Leuna Wüsteneutzsch - Dorfstraße Wüsteneutzsch - Schleusenruine 03 ies, Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Merseburger Dom, Original uploaded by Hejkal, CC BY-SA 2.0 de
- Merseburg Staendehaus, Radler59 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Merseburg Dombrunnen, Radler59 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Merseburg Stadtbefestigung Eulenturm, Radler59 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Merseburg Krummes Tor-01, Radler59 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leuna Christkoenigskirche, Radler59 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Merseburg Kirche St. Viti, Radler59 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- MerseburgMaximi, Jwaller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Merseburg, Südpark Parkbühne, Catatine, CC0
- Street-level photo, kopra, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, natura, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, natura, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, noel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, natura, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, natura, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, txllxt, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kopra, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, natura, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, noel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kopra, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kopra, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kopra, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kopra, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kopra, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kopra, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kopra, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, noel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kopra, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kopra, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, natura, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, changchun1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, changchun1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, natura, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, natura, CC BY-SA 4.0
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