Erlangen travel guide
A Huguenot street grid, a margraves' theatre and twelve days on the Bergkirchweih
Erlangen is a Franconian university and Siemens town north of Nuremberg, with a baroque Huguenot new town, a palace garden and the Bergkirchweih beer festival. Summer is Bierkeller season. Give it a day or two. Many passports need no visa for Germany under Schengen rules.
Erlangen is the northern point of the triangle it forms with Nuremberg and Fürth in Middle Franconia, about 20 minutes up the railway from Nuremberg. With about 116,000 people it is the smallest of Bavaria's eight big cities, and it feels like a university town that happens to host a global company. Roughly a third of residents are tied to the Friedrich-Alexander University, and a similar share work for Siemens, whose new campus fills a large slice of the south of town.
The look of the centre goes back to 1686, when the margraves of Bayreuth laid out a grid of straight streets and uniform baroque houses for Huguenot refugees from France. That Neustadt, the Schlossgarten and the margraves' palace escaped wartime bombing, so the core is unusually intact for a German city. Most visitors come on business or study and stay a day; time a visit for the Bergkirchweih, twelve days of beer under the chestnut trees of the Burgberg around Whitsun, and two nights make sense.
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Top things to do in Erlangen
Erlangen's sights are mostly baroque and close together: the palace and its garden, the Huguenot quarter and the beer cellars on the hill.
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Best time to visit Erlangen
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs climb from 19C in May to 24C in July; the Bergkirchweih fills the Burgberg cellars around Whitsun and the Poetenfest takes over the Schlossgarten at the end of August.
Highs of 2 to 4C and nights well below freezing; the beer cellars close and the town empties during university holidays.
During the Bergkirchweih every hotel in Erlangen and many in Nuremberg fill up; book months ahead or stay in Fürth and ride the S-Bahn.
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Getting there
Airport bus 30 and the S1 up from Nuremberg
Nuremberg Airport (NUE), about 15 km away, is the one to use. Bus 30 runs from the terminal into Erlangen with no change, taking roughly 25 to 40 minutes depending on your stop. The alternative is the U2 underground to Nuremberg Hauptbahnhof, roughly 13 minutes, then any train north; both are covered by one VGN ticket. Fly into Frankfurt or Munich and the usual rail route runs via Nuremberg. Erlangen station sits on the main line between Munich and Berlin, and many ICEs on that route stop here, with Berlin about three hours away. Regional trains reach Nuremberg in about 20 minutes and Bamberg in about 30. Long-distance coaches use the bus station beside the Hauptbahnhof.
- Nuremberg Airport (NUE)
- Bus 30 direct to Erlangen in about 25 to 40 minutes, or U2 to Nuremberg Hbf then train
- Erlangen Hauptbahnhof
- ICE to Munich and Berlin; regional trains to Nuremberg (about 20 minutes) and Bamberg (about 30)
- S1 S-Bahn
- Four stops in town: Eltersdorf, Bruck, Paul-Gossen-Straße and the Hauptbahnhof
- VGN tickets are not valid on IC or ICE trains, even for the short hop from Nuremberg.
Where to stay
Huguenot Neustadt grid, the Burgberg villas or Bruck
Stay in the Altstadt or Neustadt between the station and the Schlossgarten to walk everywhere. Erlangen's hotels are geared to business visitors, so weekends are often easier to book than weekdays, except at Bergkirchweih time, when the Burgberg area is loud and booked solid. Bruck is cheaper, with an S-Bahn stop.
- Altstadt and Neustadt
- Between the station and the Schlossgarten, within walking distance of everything; pricier and sometimes noisy on student nights
- Around the Hauptbahnhof
- Handy for trains and the airport bus, with mostly modern business hotels
- Burgberg
- Leafy and quiet villa streets north of the Schwabach, a stroll from the Bierkeller; loud and booked solid during the Kirchweih
- Bruck
- Southern district with an S-Bahn stop and older guesthouses; cheaper, but a bus or bike ride into town
Getting around
Bikes across the Regnitz Wiesengrund and VGN buses
This is one of Germany's great cycling towns, and you will see why within an hour. The city is split by four north-south barriers (the Main-Danube Canal, the Regnitz and its broad meadows, the A73 and the railway), and only two road bridges cross the Regnitz near the centre, so a bike over the Wiesengrund paths often beats a car or bus. The old walled rectangle, now the pedestrian and shopping area along Hauptstraße and Nürnberger Straße, is easy on foot. City buses cover the rest, alongside the four S1 stops. All of it is part of the VGN network shared with Nuremberg; buy tickets at machines, on the bus or in the VGN app, and for a round trip as far as Bayreuth look at a day ticket. The tourist information on Goethestraße, just off the station square, sells VGN tickets and gives transit advice.
- Wiesengrund cycle paths
- The quickest way across the Regnitz between the centre and Büchenbach
- VGN day ticket
- Covers buses, S-Bahn and regional trains around Erlangen and Nuremberg, not ICs
- Watch the red cycle lanes on Hauptstraße; bikes come through fast and expect pedestrians to keep off them.
Know before you go
Erlangen is a university and Siemens town with beer cellars in the hill.
Why travelers love it
- A Mass of Kellerbier on the Burgberg, at a long table under the chestnuts above the cellars cut into the sandstone.
- The Markgrafentheater, an early 18th-century court theatre with tiers of gilded boxes, still staging plays.
- Summer evenings on Bohlenplatz, when students bring beer and picnics to the square.
Good to know
- Bergkirchweih crowds are huge; trains from Nuremberg run full and the evening return is a squeeze.
- The centre goes quiet in semester breaks, from late July to mid-October and again in February and March.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Erlangen, month by month
Erlangen has warm summers and frosty winters, with January highs around 2C, and May to September is when the Bierkeller open. Monthly averages show how cold January gets and when summer peaks.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Flughafen Nürnberg (via Wikipedia).
Schlossgarten, Hugenottenplatz and the Burgberg cellars by bike
One day by bike covers Erlangen. Ride from the station to the Hugenottenplatz and the planned Neustadt of 1686, the margraves' palace and the Schlossgarten with its Orangerie, then lunch in the Altstadt. Spend the afternoon on the Wiesengrund meadows along the Regnitz and the evening in a Burgberg beer cellar such as Entla's Keller.
Morning. Pick up a bike near the station and roll a few minutes east to the Hugenottenplatz, where the plain-fronted Hugenottenkirche was the refugees' first church. The streets around it run dead straight, lined with matching two- and three-storey houses: this is the Neustadt planned from 1686. Continue to the Schlossplatz and the margraves' palace, now the university's main building, and walk through to the Schlossgarten with its Huguenot fountain and the curved Orangerie. The botanical garden sits on its northern edge.
Midday. Look into the Markgrafentheater if a tour is running, then cross into the Altstadt for lunch around the Martin-Luther-Platz and the Altstädter Kirche. The Palais Stutterheim on the Marktplatz holds the city library, with a reading room open to anyone.
Afternoon. Ride west over the Regnitz on the Wiesengrund paths, where locals cycle, sunbathe and play football in the meadows, as far as the Main-Danube Canal and back.
Evening. Head north over the Schwabach to the Burgberg. Outside the Kirchweih, several of its cellars open as ordinary beer gardens; Entla's Keller is a reliable choice for Franconian food and beer by the litre. End on Bohlenplatz if it is a warm night.
Stadtwurst mit Musik, Steckerlfisch and a Bierkeller Brotzeit
Erlangen eats Franconian food, best in a Bierkeller on the Burgberg, where beer is kept cold in sandstone tunnels. Order a Brotzeit board or Stadtwurst mit Musik, Schäufele and Nuremberg bratwurst in Altstadt inns, and Steckerlfisch during the Bergkirchweih. Hauptstraße has cheap döner and falafel for students.
Erlangen eats Franconian, and the best place to do it is a Bierkeller. On the Burgberg, tunnels were dug into the sandstone centuries ago to keep beer cold, and the gardens above them became the town's summer dining rooms. Order a Brotzeit, a board of bread, sausages, radishes and cheese, or bring your own food, which most cellars still allow as long as you buy their beer. Look for Stadtwurst mit Musik, slices of mild sausage in a sharp vinegar and onion dressing, eaten with rye bread.
Inns in the Altstadt serve the heavier dishes: Schäufele, roast pork shoulder with crackling and a potato dumpling, and small grilled Nuremberg bratwurst with sauerkraut. Beer comes from the many small breweries of the Franconian countryside, so ask what is on tap from nearby villages.
During the Bergkirchweih the hill turns into a long food street. Mackerel grilled on sticks over charcoal, called Steckerlfisch, is the classic festival order, along with roast chicken, pretzels and sugared almonds.
For something lighter, a student town is full of cheap options. Hauptstraße is lined with cheap döner and falafel shops.
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How we research our Erlangen travel guide
Bergkirchweih dates come from erlangen.de, and airport bus 30 and VGN fares from the transport network. Munich to Berlin trains are checked with Deutsche Bahn, with the German National Tourist Board for wider context.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of ErlangenGerman National Tourist BoardDeutsche Bahn
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Erlangen answers for Bergkirchweih, bikes and the airport bus.
Getting there
Line 30, with no change of vehicle. The ride takes about half an hour to the southern districts and longer to the centre, so the U2 to Nuremberg Hbf plus a train north can be just as quick.
About 30 minutes on a regional train, which makes Bamberg an easy half-day trip.
Nuremberg Airport (NUE), about 15 km away, is the one to use. Bus 30 runs from the terminal into Erlangen with no change, taking roughly 25 to 40 minutes depending on your stop. The alternative is the U2 underground to Nuremberg Hauptbahnhof, roughly 13 minutes, then any train north; both are covered by one VGN ticket.
Timing & weather
It starts on the Thursday before Whitsun and runs for twelve days in the beer cellars and gardens on the Burgberg.
It is a working theatre, so the easiest way in is to book a performance; guided tours run on some dates. The auditorium dates from the early 18th century.
The best time to visit Erlangen is May to Sep. Bierkeller season, the Bergkirchweih around Whitsun and the Poetenfest in late August.
- Kirchweih and summer: May - August (Highs climb from 19C in May to 24C in July; the Bergkirchweih fills the Burgberg cellars around Whitsun and the Poetenfest takes over the Schlossgarten at the end of August)
- Winter: December - February (Highs of 2 to 4C and nights well below freezing; the beer cellars close and the town empties during university holidays)
General
French Protestant refugees who arrived after Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685. The margrave built them the planned Neustadt, and the Hugenottenkirche still stands on its main square.
It is the wide band of meadows along the Regnitz on the west side of the centre, crossed by cycle paths and used for sport, picnics and sunbathing.
A literature festival held over a weekend at the end of August, with readings and talks in the Schlossgarten and other venues around the centre.
Chilly: January highs average about 2C with lows near minus 4C. Pack for frost from December to February.
This is one of Germany's great cycling towns, and you will see why within an hour. The city is split by four north-south barriers (the Main-Danube Canal, the Regnitz and its broad meadows, the A73 and the railway), and only two road bridges cross the Regnitz near the centre, so a bike over the Wiesengrund paths often beats a car or bus. The old walled rectangle, now the pedestrian and shopping area along Hauptstraße and Nürnberger Straße, is easy on foot.
Stay & facilities
In most traditional cellars on the Burgberg, yes, as long as you buy drinks there. Check for signs at the gate, as rules differ during the Kirchweih.
Booking
No. VGN tickets cover the S-Bahn, regional trains and buses, but not IC or ICE services, even on that short stretch.
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.
