The Thuringian capital was once an important medieval trading centre, a past still hinted at today by the city's many picturesque old buildings.
Erfurt is only a little distance from Germany's geographical centre and has long held a key role within the country. In the city's narrow streets countless examples of medieval German architecture are found in beautiful houses and ancient churches.
Erfurt, with its cathedral, the Erfurter Dom and the longest-surviving synagogue in Europe, looks back over a thousand year-long history and is now a university town and seat of the Federal Labour Court.
You can still discover parts of this long history in the city today. The medieval city centre is made up of many traditional timbered houses and over two dozen Gothic churches. On your travels, explore the cathedral and the Severikirche, from the top of which you can look over the city's Marktplatz where many different festivals are held throughout the year, including the Christmas Market in December.
During your city trip, you should also make a point of seeing Erfurt's famous Krämerbrücke (Merchants' Bridge), which is surrounded on both sides by timbered houses and stretches over the River Gera. In the houses on the bridge, which was built in 1117, you will mostly find shops selling arts, crafts and antiquities. You should also explore the Zitadelle Petersberg, a gigantic baroque fortress on the Petersberg Mountain, with a view of the entire city.
The Erfurt Synagogue was built around the year 1100 and is therefore the oldest-surviving synagogue in Europe. Recently it was turned into a museum in which the Erfurt Treasure is displayed. The treasure is made from thousands of gold coins and different pieces of jewellery, hidden by the Jews in fear of the plague pogroms of the 1340s. The treasure was discovered in the wall of a house in Erfurt in 1998.
As well as the celebrated tourist attractions, there is still a great deal to do in the city. For example, you can visit the botanic gardens in the Egapark, take in an opera or play in the Erfurt Theatre, or relax in the Wenigemarkt, one of the city's many squares.
