Jena, University city in Thuringia, Germany
Jena is a university city in Thuringia that stretches along the Saale valley between forested hills and limestone cliffs. The old town sits on the western riverbank, while newer residential areas and research facilities climb the gentle slopes on both sides of the valley.
The university opened in 1558 and drew thinkers like Goethe, Fichte, and Hegel over the centuries. In the 1800s, the collaboration between Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbe transformed the town into a center for optical industry and precision instrument making.
Students shape the cityscape by gathering in cafes, along the river, and in small parks scattered throughout the center. During the academic year, the streets fill with bicycles, and conversation in several languages drifts from courtyards and benches where groups meet between lectures.
The main train station sits south of the center and offers regular connections to Weimar, Erfurt, Leipzig, and beyond. The old town is walkable, while buses and trams link the outer districts and university campuses.
The Zeiss Planetarium from 1926 stands as the oldest working projection planetarium in the world. The limestone caves above town, called the Devil's Holes, once served as hideouts and wine cellars.
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