Summer and Thuringia - there's no better pairing and this is why the Weimar Summer events each year draw not only lovers of music and arts to the pretty Thuringian town but everyone who's up for some unique al fresco delights:

From July through to September, Weimar is transformed into an open-air stage with anything from concerts to digital avant-garde art. The town's green spaces, palace and picturesque old buildings form a perfect backdrop, and many international artists feature on the programme:

57th Master Classes, 15 July to 30 July 2016

The Master Classes of Weimar's University of Music Franz Liszt are a magic musical mix of public workshops and nightly concerts. Over 200 young musicians, renowned soloists, singers, conductors and orchestras from all over the world come to Weimar, rehearse and perform concerts, inviting the audience to experience classical music in a new way.

Genius Loci, 12 to 14 August 2016

Since 2012, artists of the digital avant-garde and culture buffs have been meeting up in Weimar for the 'Genius loci Weimar' festival of audio-visual art and interactive projections. The featured works are specifically designed for a particular house façade: Combining past and present and using video mapping technology, they shed a new light on architecture and history. Shapes, lights and colours create a unique vision of Weimar's special spirit.

Weimar Arts Festival, 19 August to 4 September 2016

The Weimar Arts Festival is a 17-day bonanza of ground-breaking artistic works, featuring performances that hover between concert and dance, fine art and theatre and showcase international guest performances and local talent. The festival also stands for experimentation and risk, commitment and encounter, discussions and live music over the course of an event-packed two-and-a-half weeks.

Broadway in the Park - Staatskapelle Weimar open-air concert, 2 July

Set in the enchanting surroundings of the Weimarhallenpark, the 'Broadway in the Park' open-air concert features all the favourite tunes from the most popular Broadway shows and musicals, with Staatskapelle Weimar performing on a floating stage in a reflecting pool. Visitors have the choice between seats on the terrace or picnic-style on the green.

Yiddish Summer Weimar, 10 July to 12 August 2016

Yiddish Summer Weimar is one of the world's leading summer programmes for the study, creation and presentation of traditional and contemporary Yiddish culture and will this year rock Weimar with more than 100 concerts, jam sessions, workshops, dances, sing-alongs and other events for all ages. For something fun and educational to do on a holiday, the Festival Week from 1 to 6 August will give an overview of current trends within Yiddish music, with nightly concerts of world-class bands and a daily, interactive programme of hands-on, mini-workshops in Yiddish language, music, dance, literature or cooking and much more.

27th Weimar Wine Festival - 'Drink a toast to Goethe', 25 to 28 August 2016

Every year the Weimar Wine Festival takes place around Goethe's birthday on 28 August. Wine lovers meet in the wine village on the historic Frauenplan square in front of Goethe's house which should also not be missed by visitors: Now a museum, it provides unique insights into the eminent writer's life. Beside wines from Thuringia and the Moselle region, visitors can enjoy live music and entertainment.

More information on Weimar Summer: www.weimarer-sommer.de/en/highlights/

More summer highlights in Weimar and throughout Thuringia:

The Ernestines. A dynasty shapes Europe. Until 28 August 2016.
Exhibition about the cultural and political impact of a dynasty of ruler who influenced Europe's history for 400 years and have left their traces in today's European monarchies.
Weimar Town Palace and Weimar New Museum; Gotha Schloss Friedenstein Palace and Ducal Museum

Rudolstadt Folk Festival. 7 – 10 July 201
Germany's biggest folk and world music festival attracts visitors from all over the world. Taking place in Rudolstadt's town centre, this year's line-up focuses on Latin American rhythms and Columbia.

Cathedral Steps Festival in Erfurt. 11 – 28 August, 2016.
Music festival on Thuringia's most beautiful open-air stage, against the dramatic backdrop of St. Mary's Cathedral and St. Severus Church, featuring Tosca, by Giacomo Puccini.
Erfurt Domplatz (Cathedral Square)

SonneMondSterne – SMS, 12 – 14 August, 2016
Open-air electronic music festival featuring a line-up of national and international top acts of in the magnificent surroundings of Saalburg's Bleiloch water reservoir.

Information about the Cultural Heart of Germany

Thuringia Tourism, www.visit-thuringia.com, is part of the Cultural Heart of Germany, www.cultural-heart-of-germany.com, a tourism initiative of the federal states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt & Thuringia. These neighbouring regions feature a unique cultural heritage and rich musical tradition that the Cultural Heart of Germany promotes in the UK.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CulturalHeartofGermany

Twitter: www.twitter.com/CulturalGermany

Travel information:

Easy access to the Cultural Heart of Germany: Ryanair to Leipzig and all major airlines to Berlin.

For press and image 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