Leisure tips and places of interest - Victor's Residenz-Hotel Gera

The caves, which are under the Old Town of Gera, were created back in the 17th and 18th centuries. Originally, they were not connected. The beer brewed in Gera was stored over a total length of nine kilometres.

Ten of the caves were turned into a museum at the end of the 1980s. Incidentally, the "Höhlerfest" is celebrated every year at the end of October, and the best landlord is traditionally presented with what is known as the "Bierstange", the tall beer glass.

Gera was once a thriving industrial city, as evidenced today by its many old villas. One of these villas is the Haus Schulenburg, which now houses the Van de Velde Museum. The owners received the Thuringian Monument Protection Award for their renovation of the building.

Once part of the kitchen garden of the Princes of Reuss, the late-Baroque orangery has a very varied history. After serving as a military hospital, stables, sports hall and a restaurant, it is now home to Gera's art collection. The collection includes some 11,000 items from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Osterstein Castle was located on the Hainberg, and was the residence of the Principality of Reuss (younger line). It was bombed and mostly destroyed during World War II. Today, however, the "Wolfsbrücke", ruins of the former farm buildings and the 12th-century keep, which is used for art exhibitions, are still left.