Thuringia, Germany · Europe
Jena sits on the route: 10 minutes from Lehesten, 44km from Schleizer Dreieck.
Jena is a city located in Thuringia, Germany. With a population of 104,712, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, Jena sits in Germany, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Berlin time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Jena to your route.
Jena (; German: [ˈjeːna] ) is a city in Germany and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, while the city itself has a population of about 110,000. Jena is a centre ofRead more
education and research. The University of Jena (formally the Friedrich Schiller University) was founded in 1558 and had 18,000 students in 2017 and the Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena serves another 5,000 students. Furthermore, there are many institutes of the leading German research societies.
Jena was first mentioned in 1182 and stayed a small town until the 19th century, when industry developed. For most of the 20th century, Jena was a world centre of the optical industry around companies such as Carl Zeiss, Schott and Jenoptik (since 1990). As one of only a few medium-sized cities in Germany, it has some high-rise buildings in the city centre, such as the JenTower. These also have their origin in the former Carl Zeiss factory.
Between 1790 and 1850, Jena was a focal point of the German Vormärz as well as of the student liberal and unification movement and German Romanticism. Notable persons of this period in Jena were Friedrich Schiller, Alexander von Humboldt, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Novalis, August Wilhelm Schlegel, and Arthur Schopenhauer.
Jena's economy is largely built upon its high-technology infrastructure and research. The precision optical instruments industry is its leading branch to date, although software engineering, other digital businesses, and biotechnology are of growing importance. Furthermore, Jena is also a service hub for its regional environs.
Jena lies in a hilly landscape in the east of Thuringia, within the wide valley of the Saale river. Due to its rocky landscape, varied substrate and mixed forests, Jena is known in Germany for the wide variety of wild orchids, which can be found within walking distance of the town. Local nature reserves are maintained by volunteers and NABU.
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Jena offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Jena is located in Thuringia, Germany, Europe. The coordinates are 50.9288 latitude, 11.5899 longitude.
Jena has a population of approximately 104,712 people, making it a city in Germany.
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Essential numbers in Germany
ADAC roadside assistance: +49 89 22 22 22. No general speed limit on some autobahn sections but advisory 130 km/h.
Full driving guide for Germany1 notable place within an hour's drive.
historic highway
Germany's oldest road racing circuit, in use since 1923, a triangle of Thuringian public roads still raced on today. The public sections make an atmospheric drive with the racing surface underfoot.
44 km · about 50 min drive
April to October
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