Gera can not be considered to be a typical tourist town. Nevertheless a visit a visit can be a good experience if you are open minded and have special interests. When we travelled through Labrador we just loved it in Labrador City and had a great time there. A small team of German journalists on the other hand was only complaining that the mining of iron ore produces red dust and because of their laziness and sloppy trip preparation they only found fast food restaurants and nothing of interest.
I hope that you are different to those people and we try to help by providing some information about Gera.
Gera was first mentioned in the year 995 and became already in 1237 a town. Because of its location and accessibility by roads it became soon a center for trade and businesses settled here.

Later the town experienced severe damage. The first time in 1780 by fire, then by WWII.
Today Gera is with a population of around 105 000 the second largest city in Thuringia and still a place for business. Many renovations and construction work are going on. You should have seen Thuringia before the unification of Germany! The same applies for all of the former GDR.

One of the most famous local people is the expressionist Otto Dix who was born in Untermhaus, close to Gera. He lived between 1891 and 1969. Many of his paintings have been destroyed during the "Third Reich", but you still can see much of his work and learn about his live in the h"Otto Dix House" and the "Orangery".
If you want to see some of his pictures - please check the Internet.

Another cultural attraction is the "Haus Schulenburg" which will be open to the public in April 2007. This house was built between 1913 and 1914 by the Belgian architect Henry van der Velde for Paul Schulenburg who owned a textile manufacturing plant in Gera. At present the house is being renovated to bring it back to its original state. It will host a private museum dedicated to van der Velde.
I am looking forward to visit Gera next year and do more exploration and taking my own pictures. All pictures in this site are property of the city of Gera and of the Haus Schulenburg. Many thanks.