Picturesque vineyards and mountains of shell limestone surround the “Saale-Valley” in which the university city Jena can be found. Only a few years after the political revolution in the Eastern part of Germany took place, Jena has emerged as a city of economic, scientific, cultural and social prestige. It is the home of world-known institutions like two Leibniz Institutes, three Max-Planck-Institutes and looks back on an impressive history in the field of optical works and research strongly associated with names such as Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbe.

Nearly 25,000 students decisively contribute to Jena‘s image as Thuringia‘s intellectual center, which is mainly based on philosophers of international prominence like Schiller, Goethe and Hegel.

Apart from its tradition as center of philosophy and science, Jena is also considered a place where to enjoy a coffee in an enchanting atmosphere. The well-known narrow street “Wagnergasse” is famous for traditional pubs and its variety of homely cafés inviting for a little rest after a meeting day including crucial sites such as Schiller‘s Garden House, the medieval city wall with the Tower of John or the City Church.