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About Erfurt

Including tips for the best time to visit Erfurt

The capital and largest city of the state of Thuringia in Germany, Erfurt draws people with its well-preserved medieval architecture and storied history around the Reformation leader, Martin Luther.

Most of Erfurt’s key landmarks are concentrated in the old town area or ‘Altstadt’ – from churches and synagogues to squares and bridges. At its core you’ll find the main town square, Domplatz, overlooked by two triple-spired Gothic churches that form a majestic ensemble – the Cathedral of St Mary and the Church of St Severus. If you time your visit right, you’ll get to see the square come alive with seasonal events like Christmas markets or a summer festival. Another highlight is the Krämerbrücke (meaning ‘Merchants' Bridge’) – a 14th-century pedestrian bridge lined with half-timbered houses, handicrafts shops and cafés.

For a breath of fresh air in Erfurt, head to Egapark, where you’ll find floral sculptures, a Japanese rock garden and a playground. Another place bound to keep the little ones engaged for hours is the Thuringian Zoopark, home to over 100 species of animals, including kangaroos, elephants and lions.

Tonight

From $100 per night

Next weekend

From $243 per night

Most popular time to visit October-December
Cheapest time to visit January-March
Local currency € 1 = $1.06
Language German
Average weekend price $117 per night
Average weekday price $116 per night
Average stay 1 night

Points of interest in Erfurt

Stay near the top sightseeing spots in Erfurt

Erfurt reviews

What other travelers say about Erfurt

10

Erfurt is beautiful.

August 15, 2023

Erfurt is beautiful. A little taste of history, all the buildings are well preserved. Very easily accessible by foot and public transit, although the frequency of trains slows down early in the evening. The cafes and restaurants are all wonderful.We ate at the Schnitzeler in Domplatz on the first night, which was excellent and with huge portions. During the day, getting a wurst from one of the street vendors in Domplatz is a must. If you are craving Ramen, check out JEN. The Hirsch Heinrich Sommergarten is the perfect place to spend an afternoon. For sights, you need to check out Domplatz, Kramerbrucker and Anger Plaza. If it's a hot day, I highly recommend going to the outdoor pool at Nordpark.

Michelle
Michelle Canada
10

Erfurt is a beautiful town full of charm and magic.

May 17, 2023

Erfurt is a beautiful town full of charm and magic. There are so many things to see most out of doors and without admission charges. The cathedral is very impressive. There’s a bakery on every block that serves great sandwiches-better than most restaurant dinners. There a more cafés than you can imagine all with wonderful specialties especially if you’re into coffee and cake, eiskaffee, or chocolate.

Anderson
Anderson Canada
8.0

The Augustinerkloster and Old Synagogue tours were both...

May 2, 2023

The Augustinerkloster and Old Synagogue tours were both excellent-highly recommend. If you are looking for a good breakfast, try Cafe del Sol. It is a little outside of town, but the bus stops very close to it.

Susan
Susan Germany
6.0

Erfut is really beutifull city with a charm.

January 3, 2023

Erfut is really beutifull city with a charm. The old city is really nice, you can spend a day just walking trough the old city with observing old houses and cultural monuments. We were in Erfurt from 24th - 26 th December and unfortunatly would not advise to visit the city at this time because apart from sightseing there is nothing else to do, everything is closed and it was even very hard to find a grocery store. Luckily there is a lot of nature arround where we could spend our day.

Mislav
Mislav
10

The old town of Erfurt is the most extensive I have seen in...

December 8, 2022

The old town of Erfurt is the most extensive I have seen in a German city. It oozes character, and yet is the functioning centre of the modern city. The cathedral and citadel are easy to reach along the narrow old streets, as are the museums of art. A fascinating museum of folk art is situated on the edge of the city centre. There are numerous inns, cafes and restaurants. I was happy to walk, but for those who prefer to ride, there is a network of trams. The train station is located a short distance from the city centre. For me, Erfurt was a great discovery.

Colin
Colin United Kingdom
10

Charming ancient city.

August 20, 2022

Charming ancient city. The most exciting things we visited were the old town, Erfurter Dom, the Jewish museum, and the Wirtshaus Christoffel restaurant. Everyone should try very special and tasty Thueringer bratwurst and local bier. The Krämerbrücke part is quite similar to the Petite France district in Strasbourg.

Mike
Mike Germany

Popular places to stay in Erfurt

Stay in some of the best accommodations Erfurt has to offer