Summer is done, winter is ahead. What to do in the meantime? Easy: In the Cultural Heart of Germany you could explore Görlitz, one of Hollywood's favourite European film sets, discover the German heritage of the British royal family in Gotha's Friedenstein Palace or marvel at a UNESCO World Heritage on the northern edge of the Harz mountains called Quedlinburg.

Görlitz - Hollywood keeps coming back

Hollywood seems to have the same requirements as discerning travellers: great hotels, delicious food and enchanting surroundings. Brad Pitt, Kate Winslet & Co were all more than happy to spend their time in Saxony in Germany's easternmost city Görlitz to shoot award-winning productions such as "Inglorious Basterds" or "The Reader". Location scouts looking for authentic settings keep coming back to this historical gem on the river Neisse and Polish border with over 4.000 buildings ranging from late gothic to art nouveau.

Over the last ten years, Görlitz with its unique architectural heritage has been Paris and New York (in "Around the World in 80 Days"), Heidelberg (in "The Reader") and lately Budapest for the new Wes Anderson film "The Grand Budapest Hotel" with Ralph Fiennes and Jude Law. For travellers keen to venture off the beaten track, Görlitz is a must, and they can find their perfect abode for a stay in style in hotels such as the quirky "Dreibeiniger Hund" (three-legged dog) in two joint buildings dating back to the 15th century and featuring lovingly furnished rooms.

Further information: Görlitz, Hotel Dreibeiniger Hund

Friedenstein - royal baroque universe

Towering over Gotha in Thuringia, Friedenstein Palace, Germany's largest early baroque structure, is as grand as they come and surrounded by a beautiful park, one of the country's earliest landscaped gardens in the English style. Until the end of World War I, Gotha was the home of the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the family from which today's British royal family is descended through Prince Albert who married Queen Victoria. The palace's "Baroque Universe" which includes a fully intact baroque theatre dating back to the 17th century is currently undergoing major redevelopments, and the Ducal Museum from 1879 will be newly opened after extensive renovation on 19th October.

It will house the unique ducal art collections which include paintings by Dutch and Old German masters such as Rubens, Cranach or Caspar David Friedrich, medieval and classical sculpture, art from Egypt and the ancient world or beautiful Meissen porcelain. "Hotel am Schlosspark" next to Friedenstein Palace is the perfect base to explore all those neighbouring treasures, and new flights from London Gatwick (from 29 November) will take visitors directly to nearby Erfurt.

Further information: Friedenstein Palace, Hotel am Schlosspark, www.flygermania.de/en

Quedlinburg - a half-timbered dream

UNESCO World Heritage site Quedlinburg on the northern edge of the Harz mountains in Saxony-Anhalt might be small but it is of mighty historical importance and the most delightful of towns: It features over 1,300 half-timbered buildings from eight centuries including one house dating back to 1340 which now is home to the medieval architecture museum. Visitors will marvel at the beautifully preserved medieval town and sights such as the Collegiate Church of St Servatius, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture featuring the burial site of the first German king, Henry I, and his wife. For more modern tastes, the Lyonel Feininger Gallery houses the largest collections of works by the German-American artist. This autumn, a special UNESCO package invites travellers to explore the World Heritage Site with prices starting from EUR 119 per person in a double room for two nights.

Further information UNESCO package Quedlinburg:

From 27th October (first arrival) to 29th November (last departure), 2 overnights including breakfast, 1 dinner, city guide, city map, information package

**** hotel: EUR 139 per person in a double room, EUR 189 single room

*** hotel: EUR 119 per person in a double room, EUR 159 single room

(plus tourism tax: EUR 2 per day)

Add-ons for EUR 30 per person: second dinner, visit Castle Museum, Collegiate Church, Lyonel Feininger Museum, Central German Railway and Toy Museum, Quedlinburg guide book

Information & booking: Quedlinburg, stadt@quedlinburg.de

Cultural Heart of Germany online: www.culturalheart.info

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/CulturalHeartofGermany

Twitter: www.twitter.com/CulturalGermany

Press 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