Erfurt travel guide
An inhabited medieval bridge, a cathedral hill and the oldest synagogue standing
Erfurt is Thuringia's capital, with one of Germany's best-preserved medieval centres: the inhabited Krämerbrücke, the cathedral and St Severus on the Domberg, a UNESCO-listed Old Synagogue and Luther's monastery. Visit from May to September or for the December market. Two or three days, including a hop to Weimar. Costs are high, and Schengen rules apply.
Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia, sits in the valley of the little River Gera close to the geographic centre of Germany, and its old town came through the Second World War almost intact. That is the draw. Woad, a plant that yielded blue dye, made medieval merchants rich here. They spent the money on churches and guildhalls, and on the Krämerbrücke, a stone bridge lined on both sides with timber-framed houses that people still live in.
Spires earned the city the nickname Thuringian Rome. Two of them dominate the skyline from the Domberg hill: the cathedral of St Mary stands shoulder to shoulder with the church of St Severus above a broad flight of steps. Martin Luther studied at the university here before entering the Augustinian monastery as a monk. Since 2023 the city's medieval Jewish heritage has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list; the Old Synagogue and the hoard of silver hidden beside it are the centrepiece.
Today Erfurt is also one of the best-connected rail junctions in Germany, which makes it an easy base. Spend two days on the old town and the Petersberg citadel; add one more for Weimar, 15 minutes away, or the Wartburg above Eisenach.
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Top things to do in Erfurt
Erfurt's sights sit close together: the bridge, the cathedral hill, the citadel, Jewish heritage and Luther's monastery, with gardens at the egapark.
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Best time to visit Erfurt
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs of 21-24C; July is the wettest month at about 80 mm, mostly short thunderstorms. The DomStufen-Festspiele stage open-air opera on the cathedral steps and the Krämerbrückenfest fills the bridge in June.
Highs of 14-19C; spring blossom in the egapark gardens and calm streets in September before the cool sets in.
Cold and dry, with highs of 3-7C, lows down to -3C and only about 25 mm of rain in January; the Christmas market on the Domplatz runs from late November.
Book early for the Christmas market weeks, when coach groups arrive daily to see the giant tree and pyramid on the Domplatz below the cathedral.
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Getting there
ICE Sprinter hub at Erfurt Hauptbahnhof and tram 4 to the airport
Erfurt is one of the hubs of Germany's high-speed rail network, where the Berlin to Munich and Frankfurt to Dresden lines cross, so most visitors arrive by train. Hourly ICE services reach Leipzig in about 45 minutes, Nuremberg in about 1 hour 20, Berlin in 1 hour 45 to 2 hours, Frankfurt in about 2 hours 10 and Munich in about 2.5 hours; Dresden is about two hours, every second hour. Connections are mostly same-platform and trains often wait for each other. Erfurt-Weimar Airport (ERF), about 5 km west of the centre, is used mainly for holiday flights, many to Turkey and the Greek islands; tram line 4 links it with the Hauptbahnhof in about 20 minutes. Most air passengers use Leipzig/Halle (LEJ), about an hour away by ICE with a change to the S-Bahn in Halle or Leipzig, or Frankfurt (FRA), a little over two hours. From Erfurt Hauptbahnhof it is a short walk to the Anger, the main shopping square, about five to ten minutes, and the cathedral is a 20-minute walk or a few stops by tram. If driving, use the A4 or the A71, which meet near the city.
- Leipzig
- ICE, about 45 minutes, hourly
- Berlin
- ICE, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours
- Erfurt-Weimar Airport
- Tram 4 to the Hauptbahnhof, about 20 minutes
- Hauptbahnhof to the Domplatz
- Tram, about 10 minutes, or a 20-minute walk
- Check if your ICE is a Sprinter: these call at Erfurt as one of only a few stops between Berlin and Munich or Frankfurt, and cut travel times noticeably.
Where to stay
Andreasviertel lanes, the Krämerbrücke or the Anger
Stay anywhere central, since Erfurt's old town is compact. Choose the Domplatz, the Andreasviertel or the Krämerbrücke for evening atmosphere, and the Anger or the Hauptbahnhof if early trains matter more. Rooms are tight during the Christmas market and the DomStufen-Festspiele opera on the cathedral steps, so book ahead then.
- Domplatz and the Andreasviertel
- Quiet cobbled lanes below the Petersberg, close to the cathedral and the citadel; furthest from the station
- Krämerbrücke and Wenigemarkt
- The prettiest corner, with cafés by the Gera; small guesthouses and holiday flats, busy with day-trippers
- Anger and Fischmarkt
- Central squares with shops, the town hall and trams in every direction; more traffic noise
- Around the Hauptbahnhof
- Budget hotels and hostels for rail travellers; a 10-minute walk to the old town
Getting around
EVAG trams from the Anger and walks along the Gera
The old town is compact and largely pedestrianised, so walking is usually quickest: the Anger to the Krämerbrücke takes about five minutes, and the Krämerbrücke to the Domplatz about ten. The city transport company EVAG runs trams, supplemented by buses, across the city. In the daytime trams come at least every ten minutes on most sections, less often in the evening; after midnight, night trams and buses run once or twice an hour and meet at the Anger or the Hauptbahnhof. A single ticket covers one trip with transfers, and a day ticket, valid until 3am the next morning, must be stamped before the first ride. Groups can use a group day ticket for up to five people. Tickets are sold at machines at major stops, on board the trams and in the EVAG app. Tram line 4 runs to the egapark and the airport; trams also serve the Domplatz. Cycling is pleasant along the Gera and in the parks, though the cobbles in the old town are hard work.
- Tram
- EVAG, every 10 minutes by day; night services meet at the Anger
- Day ticket
- Stamp before the first trip; valid until 3am
- Walking
- Anger to the Krämerbrücke about 5 minutes
- Day tickets come unstamped, so validate yours on the first tram or a ticket inspector will treat it as invalid.
Know before you go
A merchants' bridge lined with houses and a cathedral hill.
Why travelers love it
- Walking the Krämerbrücke, then climbing the tower of the Ägidienkirche at its eastern end to look down on the roofs of the houses on the bridge.
- The Erfurt Treasure in the Old Synagogue, a 14th-century hoard of silver and gold that includes an exquisite Jewish wedding ring.
- The view from the Petersberg citadel, straight across to the cathedral and St Severus, with the old town's spires spread out behind.
Good to know
- The cathedral's great Gloriosa bell rings only on special feast days, so do not expect to hear it on an ordinary visit.
- Thuringian sausage stalls use mustard, not ketchup, and locals will notice if you ask for it.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Erfurt, month by month
Erfurt has a fairly dry continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters; The warmer months are best for a visit. Monthly temperature and rainfall averages are a tap away.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Erfurt–Weimar Airport (NOAA, via Wikipedia).
The Krämerbrücke, Domberg and Petersberg on foot in Erfurt
Erfurt's old town fills two days on foot. Day one runs from the Krämerbrücke to the UNESCO-listed Old Synagogue and mikveh, the Fischmarkt, the cathedral of St Mary and the Severikirche, ending on the Petersberg citadel. Day two covers Luther's Augustinerkloster and the Andreasviertel, then the egapark or a 15-minute train to Weimar.
Day one, morning. Start at the Krämerbrücke before the shops open, when you can walk its length in peace. About 120 metres long, it has houses on both sides and a street of craft and food shops in between; for the full picture go down to the Gera bank below, then climb the tower of the Ägidienkirche. Walk on to the Old Synagogue, the oldest preserved synagogue in Europe up to its roof, and see the Erfurt Treasure in its cellar. Nearby, the medieval mikveh, a ritual bath, completes the UNESCO-listed ensemble.
Afternoon. Continue to the Fischmarkt with its neo-Gothic town hall and Renaissance merchants' houses, then to the Domplatz. Climb the 70 steps to the cathedral of St Mary, where Luther was ordained, and the three-towered Severikirche beside it. Finish on the Petersberg, one of the largest surviving baroque citadels in Europe, for sunset over the spires.
Day two. Visit the Augustinerkloster, where Luther lived as a monk from 1505, then stroll through the lanes of the Andreasviertel. After lunch, take tram 4 to the egapark for its gardens and the Danakil desert and jungle house, or ride a train 15 minutes to Weimar for Goethe and Schiller's houses.
Rostbratwurst with Born Senf and Thüringer Klöße
Erfurt's essential food is the Thüringer Rostbratwurst, grilled over charcoal and served in a short roll with Born Senf mustard, made in the city since the 1820s. Sit-down meals centre on Thüringer Klöße potato dumplings with roast pork or goose, and Rostbrätel. Eat in the Altstadt inns or the cafés along the Gera.
The Thüringer Rostbratwurst is a matter of regional pride. It is a long, thin pork sausage seasoned with marjoram, caraway and garlic, grilled over charcoal until crisp and served in a bread roll that is always too short for it. Stalls on the Domplatz, the Anger and around the Krämerbrücke sell them all day. The essential topping is mustard, ideally Born Senf, made in Erfurt since the 1820s; asking for ketchup earns a pained look.
Sit-down Thuringian cooking centres on Thüringer Klöße, large potato dumplings with fried bread croutons in the middle, served with roast pork, beef roulade or goose with red cabbage. Rostbrätel, slices of pork neck marinated in beer, mustard and onion and then grilled, is the other classic. The city's market gardening history lives on in its nickname for locals, Puffbohnen (broad beans), and in watercress, once grown in the springs at Dreienbrunnen.
Look for traditional inns in the Altstadt and the lanes around Michaelisstraße, which also hold many of the bars. The cafés along the Gera behind the Krämerbrücke are ideal for an afternoon break, with tables right on the water. At Christmas, the market sells Erfurter Schittchen, the local name for Stollen, alongside mulled wine and sausages. Wash it all down with Braugold, the old Erfurt beer brand now brewed in Chemnitz, or something from one of the small craft breweries in town.
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How we research our Erfurt travel guide
Erfurt is an ICE hub, so Sprinter services and Deutsche Bahn times are a regular check. erfurt.de covers EVAG tram routes and the Old Synagogue's opening hours, and the German National Tourist Board covers Thuringia more widely.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Erfurt questions from trains to the Krämerbrücke, answered.
General
Many of the ground floors are shops, cafés and galleries open to visitors, and one house holds a small museum about the bridge. The upper floors are private homes.
Because it is among the oldest synagogues in Europe preserved up to the roof, and together with the medieval mikveh and the Stone House it was listed in 2023 as the Jewish-Medieval Heritage of Erfurt.
A hoard of coins, silver vessels and jewellery hidden by a Jewish merchant during the plague pogrom of 1349 and found in 1998. It is displayed in the Old Synagogue.
Yes, guided tours take you into the listening tunnels (Horchgänge), passages built under the fortifications to detect enemies digging toward them.
Tram line 4, which continues west to Erfurt-Weimar Airport. The egapark is one of Germany's largest garden and leisure parks.
At the Augustinerkloster, the Augustinian monastery he entered in 1505 after studying at the university. You can see his cell and the church where he took his vows.
A festival held on a weekend in June across the bridge and the old town, with medieval-style markets, music and street theatre, which draws large crowds.
Erfurt is a high-speed hub, with hourly ICE trains to Berlin, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Nuremberg and Munich, and ICE Sprinter services that stop at only a few stations between Berlin and Munich or Frankfurt.
The old town is compact and largely pedestrianised, so walking is usually quickest: the Anger to the Krämerbrücke takes about five minutes, and the Krämerbrücke to the Domplatz about ten. The city transport company EVAG runs trams, supplemented by buses, across the city. In the daytime trams come at least every ten minutes on most sections, less often in the evening; after midnight, night trams and buses run once or twice an hour and meet at the Anger or the Hauptbahnhof.
Booking
There are 70 broad steps from the Domplatz to the cathedral and St Severus. In summer they become the stage for the DomStufen-Festspiele open-air opera.
Getting there
About 15 minutes by train, with several departures an hour, which makes Goethe's and Schiller's houses an easy half-day trip.
Erfurt is one of the hubs of Germany's high-speed rail network, where the Berlin to Munich and Frankfurt to Dresden lines cross, so most visitors arrive by train. Hourly ICE services reach Leipzig in about 45 minutes, Nuremberg in about 1 hour 20, Berlin in 1 hour 45 to 2 hours, Frankfurt in about 2 hours 10 and Munich in about 2.5 hours; Dresden is about two hours, every second hour. Connections are mostly same-platform and trains often wait for each other.
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Erfurt is May to Sep, Dec. Highs of 18-24C for the old town and the open-air opera on the cathedral steps; December for one of Germany's finest Christmas markets.
- Summer: June - August (Highs of 21-24C; July is the wettest month at about 80 mm, mostly short thunderstorms. The DomStufen-Festspiele stage open-air opera on the cathedral steps and the Krämerbrückenfest fills the bridge in June)
- Spring and early autumn: April - May, September (Highs of 14-19C; spring blossom in the egapark gardens and calm streets in September before the cool sets in)
- Winter: November - February (Cold and dry, with highs of 3-7C, lows down to -3C and only about 25 mm of rain in January; the Christmas market on the Domplatz runs from late November)
Visa & documents
As a Schengen member, Germany shares one set of entry rules with most of the EU. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Pickpocketing at large stations, Christmas markets and on big-city public transport is the main risk in a very safe country. Carry ID and validate paper tickets where required. Call 110 for police and 112 for fire or ambulance.
