Arnstadt

Johann Sebastian Bach held his first post as an organist at Arnstadt's Neue Kirche from 1703 to 1707, and the town has been known as a Bach city ever since — one of five in Thuringia dedicated to his legacy. First documented in 704, Arnstadt is among the oldest towns in Germany outside former Roman settlement areas, with a well-preserved historic centre, a partially intact town wall, and a walkable café scene. Sitting on the river Gera at the northern edge of the Thuringian Forest, it also holds the earliest written records of the Thuringian bratwurst (1404) and wheat beer outside Bavaria (1617).

• Population28,264
• Nearest water from center 0.4 km0.2 mi
• Nearest mountain from center 2.4 km1.5 mi