Once summer is over, it's essential to continue planning for upcoming autumn breaks. No use getting stuck at the desk for too long. Here's our ultimate list why Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia tick all the right boxes for discerning travellers – with a unique German mix of cultural gems, some fine indulgences, nature's finest and quirky sights.

Celebrate where history has been made

This autumn, Dresden's iconic Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its reconstruction: At the end of World War II, nothing but a heap of rubble was left of one of the city's most beautiful buildings. A unique rebuilding project that started in the 1990ies after the country's reunification helped restore the church; in 2005, it was reconsecrated, and considerable contributions from the British public towards financing the restoration including a British-build cross topping Frauenkirche make this baroque masterpiece a potent symbol of reconciliation. The ten year celebrations will culminate in a week of festival services, concerts and special tours from 22 to 31 October.

Over in Leipzig, join the locals in what has become one of Germany's most buzzing cities since the reunification 25 years ago when they celebrate the annual Festival of Lights on 9 October. Every year, Leipzig commemorates the peaceful revolution when 70,000 demonstrators gathered here in 1989, paving the way for the fall of the Berlin Wall. The 2015 festival, featuring audio, video and light installations, is headlined 'Liberty-Equality-Fraternity?' and, as each year, visitors are invited to form an illuminated '89' with thousands of candles.

Be a bit highbrow

If you missed Halle's wonderful Handel Festival in June, there's another chance in autumn to enjoy first-class concerts featuring international top artists and explore the vibrant city on the Saale river: The 'Handel in Autumn' festival is taking place from 20 to 22 November, with ticket sales starting in September. In nearby Lutherstadt Wittenberg, art lovers should not miss the world's first major exhibition dedicated to the work and life of Lucas Cranach the Younger. 500 years after his birth, 'Lucas Cranach the Younger – Discovery of a Master' (until 1 Nov) is finally shedding a light on the eminent painter of Reformation altars and outstanding portraitist who was born in Wittenberg and stood in his father's shadow throughout his life.

Indulge!

For food, drinks and music, pencil in a weekend in charming Weimar for the Onion Market from 9 to 11 October. Each year, this autumn highlight draws visitors from all over the world. Celebrated since 1653, the festival is dedicated to all things onions including colourful onion braids that are decorated with dried flours. The whole town centre is transformed into an open-air stage of market stalls with traders selling food, traditional handicraft and agricultural products, plus there are several stages for entertainment and music. Food is key, of course, and visitors should not miss the famous Thuringian bratwurst with a dollop of mustard.

Autumn is also the time for wine lovers to enjoy numerous wine festivals in the Cultural Heart of Germany region, such as in Saxony-Anhalt where Saale-Unstrut is not only Germany's but also Europe's northernmost wine region. Picturesque wine villages stage wine festivals from September until the beginning of November, and while here, don't miss the stunning cathedral in Naumburg, one of the most eminent buildings on the Romanesque Road. In Saxony, Radebeul, just outside Dresden and at the centre of the Saxon Wine Route, is putting on a wine harvest festival from 25 to 27 September, the same weekend as Meissen, the region's other eminent wine town in the neighbourhood.

Enjoy autumn colours

For beautiful autumn colours, head to UNESCO World Heritage Site Hainich National Park in Thuringia which is best visited at this time of year. This primeval forest right in the middle of Germany delights with mighty, ancient trees and a total area of 7,500 hectares. There are guided tours for visitors as well as numerous signposted trails taking hikers through this huge unexploited woodland area. Undisputed highlight: The treetop trail for stunning views on nature's finest from high above. Cameras at the ready.

Get lucky

We bet you didn't know about this one: Less than an hour's drive from Erfurt, you can marvel at the world's largest vase and make wishes come true. Here's how: Beautiful Castle Leuchtenburg, featuring stunning views on the Thuringian Forest in all its colourful autumn splendour, is home to the 'Porcelain Worlds' exhibition. Opened this year, it features seven interactive spaces taking visitors through the history of the 'white gold', including the above mentioned world's largest vase at 7.9 metres and a 20-metre-long 'Skywalk of Wishes'. Here, visitors are encouraged to write their wishes on pieces of porcelain and smash them after for good luck. And why not.

Travel information:

Easy access to the Cultural Heart of Germany with Ryanair to Leipzig  and Germania from London Gatwick to Erfurt-Weimar (until 1 Nov 2015). All major airlines to Berlin.

The Cultural Heart of Germany online:

Website: www.culturalheart.info

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CulturalHeartofGermany

Twitter: www.twitter.com/CulturalGermany

For more information and enquiries, please contact:

B Connects. Barbara Geier Content Services

On behalf of Cultural Heart of Germany (Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia)

barbara@bconnects.net, phone 07983 242 195