The Kerkermeister Pension | Auerbach, Vogtland

This travel-themed bed-and-breakfast and language school offers a serene stay in the small East German town of Auerbach. The perfect stopover between Munich and Berlin.

The Kerkermeister ("dungeon master") Pension is so named because it once housed the courthouse and dungeon of Medieval Auerbach, an era from which visitors can glimpse scenes and models at the nearby City Museum for a mere 3 EUR. But this recently renovated pension is nothing like the ideas that its name brings to mind. Each room is tastefully decorated with a different theme based upon various world cultures: Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Scandinavia, Oceania, and South America.

Auerbach is a great option for a holiday in Vogtland, as year-round outdoor leisure opportunities are available, from hiking the Vogtland Panorama Trail, cross-country skiing along the Czech border, or visiting the spas in Eibenstock. And the Kerkermeister Pension is conveniently situated in the heart of the old town, perfect for strolls along the colorful avenues or in the nearby parks.

The town happens to offer a fair amount of international cuisine despite its small size. Across the courtyard from the pension is a fine Mexican restaurant, Maya Cafe, and opposite that is a Greek restaurant. Just uphill is a brewery restaurant located in the town's old fortress, with wonderful traditional cuisine on offer, as well as access via spiral stairs to the top of the tower for a breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside, along with some post-meal calorie burning.

Speaking of calories, the proprietors also offer up cooking evenings (or weekends) in English, tours of the nearby Wernesgrüner brewery, as well as week-long travel writing retreats (minimum of 4 people).

The proprietors are incredibly well traveled, with more than 100 countries visited between them, and they have brought much from their travels into the pension itself: Antiques, artwork, books, handicrafts from all over the world grace their colorful rooms, and breakfast is served with delicate care every morning in the "Travel Lounge," their name for the inn-like common room where guests can congregate, and where locals from Auerbach often convene for English conversation classes* or to share travel presentations from trips abroad.

*The proprietors also operate a "sprachschule" out of the pension, as one of the owners is a native English speaker and former professor of Concordia University in Irvine, California. The focus of the classes on offer here is for locals to hone their business English skills or to master English for travel purposes. The travel writing retreats on offer by the Pension are the perfect opportunity for writers looking for a focused and inspiring visit, as proprietor Adam Lee is incredibly well-studied in travel literature in particular.

The Kerkermeister is ideal for couples (it is also pet friendly), business travelers, and wandering creatives, and is a must-stop destination for anyone passing through Vogtland.

Auerbach is easily accessible via rail from Nuremburg, Dresden, and Prague, and the proprietors offer pickup from the local train station in Auerbach.

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Website: The Kerkermeister Pension

Nightly rates:
Single Room - 79EUR
Double Room - 99EUR

Cooking in English Evenings - 65EUR per person.

Travel Writing Retreats (4p minimum) - 1000EUR Mon-Sat for shared room + 100EUR single room.

Photos are copyright of Matt Nelson 2026

Matt Nelson 2026