🇩🇪 Gera, Germany
Zum Stern
📍 5, Schenkendorfstraße, Gera, 07548
Your stay — Zum Stern
Live forecast for your dates · what's on · air quality & pollen📅 Pick your check-in & check-out above to unlock your day-by-day forecast, what's on during your stay, and live air quality & pollen for Gera.
Faith & Dietary Nearby
- Church: St. Ursula (1.2 km · ~15 min walk)
- Church: Evangelisches Gemeindezentrum (1.4 km · ~18 min walk)
- Church: St. Martini (2.0 km · ~25 min walk)
Local Lifestyle & Recreation
Gera Carré — 2.1 km · ~26 min walk
Ufer-Elster-Park — 1.5 km · ~18 min walk
Henry van de Velde - Museum — 1.7 km · ~21 min walk
Große Lichtung — 1.3 km · ~16 min walk
5-Minute Radius Essentials
Nearest — 1.5 km · ~18 min walk
Elster Apotheke — 795 m · ~10 min walk
star — 829 m · ~10 min walk
Martinsgrund — 1.4 km · ~18 min walk
Money & Currency
Get a travel card →Euro, EUR
Use bank ATMs in the city centre for the best rates; avoid exchange bureaux at airports and tourist offices as they add large fees.
Most shops, restaurants and supermarkets accept debit and credit cards, but some smaller cafes and market stalls are cash-only. Contactless and mobile pay work everywhere card payments are accepted.
Round up the bill in restaurants or leave about 5–10%. Taxi drivers round up to the nearest euro. Hotel staff: €1–2 per bag for porters, no tip needed for reception.
Eat, Shop & Travel on a Budget
Cheap car hire →A standard filter coffee or espresso at a café costs around €2–3.
A bakery or Imbiss sandwich with a drink costs €5–7.
A main course at a modest restaurant or pub costs €10–15.
Check the central market square (Markt) and the pedestrian zone around Heinrichstraße for cheap eats like currywurst and Döner kebab for €4–6.
Budget supermarket chains: Aldi, Lidl, Netto.
Affordable high-street chains like C&A and H&M are in the city centre; there is no market dedicated to cheap clothes.
A single bus/tram ticket in Gera costs about €2–3; a day pass around €5–6. If coming from airport, take the regional train (RE) from Leipzig/Halle to Gera (€15–20 one way).
1) Buy a day pass for unlimited travel if using public transport more than twice. 2) Eat at the university mensa (cafeteria) for a low-cost lunch around €3–4 if open to the public. 3) Shop at Aldi/Lidl for groceries rather than small corner shops.
Good to know — Gera
Type C/F · 230V
safe
$1 ≈ €0.87 · EUR
Where to Eat
Book a table →💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Gera, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at Zum Stern
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🧭 First things nearby: cash · Nearest — 1.5 km · ~18 min walk — pharmacy · Elster Apotheke — 795 m · ~10 min walk
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
Find train tickets →Gera Hauptbahnhof → Gera-Zentrum
💡 This is handy only if you're heading to the city centre; for Trebnitzer Hof, take the bus instead.
Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ) → Hotel Schimmel, Gera
💡 Prebook with Taxi Gera to avoid surge pricing; airport kiosk taxis cost about €20-30 more.
Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ) → Gera Hauptbahnhof
💡 Buy a Sachsen-Anhalt ticket (€24 for one person) if you're travelling after 9am – it covers the whole journey and local buses in Gera.
Gera Hauptbahnhof → Hotel Schimmel (Schimmelstraße stop)
💡 Validate your ticket at the machine inside the bus. The stop is two blocks from the hotel; if you've got heavy luggage, it's easier to walk the 10 minutes.
Gera Hauptbahnhof → Heinrichstraße (nearest stop to Hotel Schimmel)
💡 Trams run slightly more reliably than buses. Get off at Heinrichstraße, then it's a 3-minute walk. Avoid the 20:30 one – it often gets swapped for a bus due to maintenance.
Gera Hauptbahnhof → Gaststätte und Pension Kutschbach (Haltestelle: Gera-Debschwitz, Dorfplatz)
💡 Buy a single ticket from the driver (cash only) or use the 'GVB' app for contactless payment. Get off at Debschwitz, Dorfplatz; the guesthouse is a 4-minute walk east.
Gera Hauptbahnhof → Gera, Heinrichstraße (closest tram stop)
💡 Use tram line 1 toward Bieblach; exit at Heinrichstraße, then walk 10 minutes along Heinrichstraße towards Debschwitz. Cheaper than bus if you have a day pass (€5.50).
Gera Hauptbahnhof → Trebnitz (Pension Trebnitzer Hof)
💡 Alight at 'Trebnitz-Mitte' stop – it's a 2-minute walk. Validate your ticket on the platform before boarding or you'll pay a €60 fine.
Gera Hauptbahnhof → Pension Patzelt (stop: Saalfelder Straße)
💡 Bus 1 runs directly; buy a single ticket from the driver (exact change handy) or use the GVB app. Pension Patzelt is a 3-min walk from the stop.
Gera Hauptbahnhof → Pension Patzelt (stop: Heinrichstraße)
💡 Tram 3 drops you at Heinrichstraße, a 5-min walk. Use a day ticket (€6) if you plan more than two rides—valid on buses and trams city-wide.
Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ) train station → Gera Hauptbahnhof
💡 Change at Leipzig Hbf for RE1 or RB22. Buy a 'Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket' (€44 for one person) if you're doing multiple regional trips that day.
Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ) via Leipzig Hbf → Gera Hauptbahnhof
💡 Buy a Sachsen-Anhalt-Ticket or Thüringen-Ticket (€24–€29) for unlimited regional travel. Connect at Leipzig Hbf; the S5X S-Bahn runs directly to the airport terminal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is check-in at Zum Stern?
Check-in at Zum Stern is from null. Check-out is by null.
Where can I eat cheaply near Zum Stern?
A bakery or Imbiss sandwich with a drink costs €5–7.
What is the cheapest way to get around from Zum Stern?
A single bus/tram ticket in Gera costs about €2–3; a day pass around €5–6. If coming from airport, take the regional train (RE) from Leipzig/Halle to Gera (€15–20 one way).
Top Attractions in Gera
💡 The top floor has an old chemist's shop with actual 19th-century jars and bottles. Ask the staff to point it out. Quietest on Tuesday afternoons.
💡 Pop in during box office hours (Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-14:00) for a free self-guided look at the ornate ceiling. Terrace open for drinking water refill in summer.
💡 Bring your own coffee. The park has no café, but there's a kiosk in the adjacent market square on Saturday mornings.
💡 Check the Gera events calendar online for free concerts or art pop-ups there. The building's interior is only open during events, but the gardens alone are worth 15 minutes.
💡 First Wednesday of each month is free for all. Check the temporary exhibitions in the basement—they change regularly and often feature local artists.
💡 Best visited late afternoon in summer when the sun hits the rose garden. The café near the pond has reasonable coffee and cake.
💡 The gardens are free year-round. Visit during spring or summer when the flower beds are in bloom.
💡 Check their website for free entry days—usually the first Wednesday of each month. The café serves strong filter coffee at student prices.