3 Best Sights in Torgau, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia

It was in this pretty Renaissance building that Katharina von Bora, Martin Luther's widow, lived and died after the death of her beloved husband. The daughter of a noble, von Bora took her vows in the Cistercian order at a young age but fled the church with eight other nuns after pledging her faith to the teachings of Luther. Her final home is now a memorial and museum dedicated to this remarkable woman.

Medical reformer Samuel Hahnemann,the founder of homeopathy, lived and worked in this house, one of the oldest residences in Torgau, from 1804 to 1811. It was here that Hahnemann wrote his groundbreaking Organon of the Rational Healing Art. Although the guided tour is in German, an informative brochure is available in English.

This magnificent Renaissance quarter stands virtually unchanged since the 16th century. On the central market square (Markt), you'll find the impressive town hall and elegant stately town houses of the local gentry of old, including the Mayor Ringenhain House (admission €2) at Breite Strasse 9, an outstanding example of a Renaissance town house and a fascinating immersion in the life and times of Torgau's 16th-century aristocrats.