Things to Do in Erfurt: Top Attractions & Insider Tips

Facts About Erfurt

Erfurt is the capital of Thuringia and, with approximately 214,000 residents, also the largest city in the state.

Erfurt sits pretty centrally in Germany and is excellently connected to the national rail network.

By ICE high-speed train, you can reach Erfurt from Leipzig in just under 40 minutes. From Nuremberg it’s one hour 20 minutes, from Berlin one hour 45 minutes, and from Frankfurt about two hours. Even from Munich, you only need two hours 30 minutes to get here by ICE.

The classic city of Weimar is just 15 minutes away by regional express — trains run every 12 minutes, making it super easy to combine a trip to Erfurt with a visit to Weimar.

The Best Things to Do in Erfurt: Top 11 Highlights

Erfurt is rich in history and culture and has a lot to offer for a full day of sightseeing. Here are the top 11 things to do in Erfurt:

The Erfurt Old Town

Anyone who’s ever been to Erfurt raves about the picturesque historic center — and for good reason! Throughout the city you’ll find narrow alleyways, well-preserved half-timbered houses, and no fewer than 22 churches.

We’ll introduce you to some of the standout highlights, like the Krämerbrücke and the Erfurt Cathedral, in more detail below.

The old town isn’t particularly large — you can easily explore everything on foot. Your best bet is to kick off your time in Erfurt with a stroll through the historic district to get your bearings and soak up the city’s vibe.

Especially beautiful neighborhoods include the historic Andreasviertel and Erfurt’s Little Venice. The latter gets its name because the Gera River branches out into many small waterways here, reminiscent of the Italian lagoon city — absolutely stunning!

Krämerbrücke

The Krämerbrücke is the ultimate symbol of Erfurt — as a fully built-up and inhabited bridge, it’s nearly unique in Europe. The only comparable structure is the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, though that one is somewhat shorter.

A walk across the bridge is, of course, a must on any visit. What makes it especially great is that the shops here don’t just sell typical tourist trinkets — there are genuinely wonderful things to discover.

Line up along it are small, independent shops, art galleries, and cafés. You’ll find crafts, Thuringian specialties, and, with Goldhelm Schokolade, one of the best chocolate makers north of the equator.

Grab a chocolate ice cream from Goldhelm and sit down on the riverbank behind the Krämerbrücke along the Gera. That’s pure Erfurt feeling!

Erfurt Cathedral and Severi Church

The most impressive backdrop in Erfurt is without a doubt the view of the Cathedral and the Severi Church. The twin structures stand at Cathedral Square and are truly breathtaking — no wonder, since the cathedral is more than 80 meters tall!

There’s another special feature inside: the so-called Gloriosa. With a diameter of 2.50 meters, it’s the largest free-swinging bell in the world. Thanks to its exceptional sound, it’s often called the Queen of Bells.

If you want to hear the Gloriosa ring, you’ll need to plan your trip carefully. The bell only rings on special occasions and holidays — the schedule is listed in the official ringing schedule.

Every summer, the Cathedral Steps Festival takes place on Cathedral Square, with a theatrical performance staged on the steps of the cathedral. Highly recommended!

View from the Ägidienkirche

At the eastern end of the Krämerbrücke you’ll find the Ägidienkirche. The church itself is fairly plain and not all that spectacular — but we’ve included it as a top pick for a different reason: the view from the church tower.

To climb up to the viewing platform, you pay a small fee of 2.50 euros and make your way up the stairs.

Totally worth it. From 33 meters up, you’ll enjoy a fantastic panorama over the Krämerbrücke and the old town and can count Erfurt’s many towers. How many can you spot?

Zitadelle Petersberg

On the edge of the old town, right next to Cathedral Square, the Zitadelle Petersberg towers above the city — a star-shaped fortress that’s one of the largest and best-preserved of its kind in all of Europe.

From the fortress, you get a great view over Erfurt. To get there, you’ll first hike up the panoramic path — though that sounds more strenuous than it actually is. The climb takes no more than ten minutes.

Inside, you can join guided tours and even explore the mysterious listening tunnels. There’s also a multimedia and interactive exhibition on the history of the citadel that will keep even kids entertained.

At the top of the hill sits a lovely restaurant called Glashütte. As the name suggests, you can enjoy a wonderful panorama while you eat.

Fischmarkt

The Fischmarkt is the heart of the city. It sits between Cathedral Square and the Krämerbrücke, so you’ll inevitably walk through it.

Fish were actually traded here in earlier times — hence the name. Today it’s simply a square; no market takes place there anymore.

Surrounding the Fischmarkt are beautiful historic buildings with artfully decorated facades. These once belonged to wealthy Erfurt citizens, and some houses have their own names, such as “Zum Roten Ochsen” (The Red Ox) or “Zur güldenen Krone” (The Golden Crown). Also worth seeing is the Erfurt City Hall right on the square.

Beyond that, you’ll find plenty of restaurants here. The Kunsthalle is also worth a visit, with regularly rotating exhibitions.

Old Synagogue

The name Old Synagogue truly lives up to its billing — the history of the building dates back to the 11th century, making it the oldest synagogue in all of Europe preserved up to the roof.

Inside there’s a museum where you can learn about the significance of the Jewish community in Erfurt and their everyday life.

The real highlight, though, is in the basement, where a genuine treasure of more than 3,000 silver coins is on display. The treasure is believed to have been hastily hidden by a Jewish family who were accused during the plague of poisoning wells and were subsequently persecuted.

Augustinian Monastery

The Augustinian Monastery in Erfurt is best known for one very particular monk: Martin Luther. He joined the order in 1505, and to this day you can walk in his footsteps here.

The monastery is a few minutes’ walk outside the old quarter and is a true gem. On warm days you can enjoy the sun in the monastery garden, or browse the library’s approximately 60,000 volumes.

If you want to learn more about Luther’s life here, guided tours take place daily — there are even nighttime tours. The monastery also has a few hotel rooms available for overnight stays, ideal if you’re looking for a peaceful place to stay near the historic center.

egapark

The egapark — often simply called “ega” — is one of the most beautiful places in Thuringia and the green lung of the city. On the former grounds of Cyriaksburg castle, the first garden show was held here in 1950, and that legacy is still very much visible today.

Spread across about 36 hectares are a wide variety of gardens: a Japanese garden, a rose garden, a sculpture garden, and many more. Color bursts at you from every direction and you can smell spring in the air — simply a wonderful spot to unwind!

The egapark is one of those Erfurt attractions that’s also perfect for kids. There are great playgrounds, a nature trail, and a children’s petting farm.

There’s also a great observation tower in the Cyriaksburg citadel within the ega. From 35 meters up, you can see all the way across the Erfurt old town.

Kika Figures

A giant loaf of bread next to the city hall and a bright orange mouse right in the middle of the Anger? No, we haven’t lost our minds.

Erfurt is home to the popular children’s TV channel Kika, and for its tenth anniversary, the channel started placing life-size figures of its most famous children’s characters around the city. In addition to Bernd das Brot and the Mouse, you’ll also find the Sandman, the Tiger Duck, the Little Mole, and Tabaluga.

By now, twelve figures are spread across the old town — perfect for a little scavenger hunt with the kids. Or just a stroll down memory lane for the grown-ups.

Erfurt Christmas Market

Erfurt has the most beautiful Christmas market in Germany. Fact!

We’ve been to Dresden, to Nuremberg (totally overrated!), to Cologne, to Hamburg — none of those Christmas markets even come close to Erfurt’s. The setting in front of the cathedral and the Severi Church is simply unmatched.

The market stretches throughout the entire old town, and at all the major squares you’ll find stalls with mulled wine, bratwurst, and Christmas goodies. Simply wonderful!

5 of at Least 1,000 Reasons Why Erfurt is Simply Special

You now know the classic Erfurt attractions. But there’s even more that makes the city so special — it’s not just the highlights, it’s above all the atmosphere.

Erfurt is More Than Just a Pretty Backdrop

Now, Erfurt is certainly not the only place in Germany with a beautiful historic center. There’s Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Lübeck, Bamberg, Görlitz, and many other beautiful small towns in Germany.

But one thing sets Erfurt apart from most of those cities: Erfurt isn’t just a tourist attraction. It’s a young, lively city!

Erfurt is genuinely attractive to young people. The city is growing — by 10,000 residents since 2002 alone.

And great places and projects are emerging here that you might not immediately expect in dreamy Thuringia: there’s a young, creative scene, co-working spaces, and a really lively cultural and music scene.

Erfurt isn’t just worth a visit — it’s honestly worth living in!

You Can Eat Really Well in Erfurt

You can eat well just about anywhere, but Erfurt’s restaurant scene is genuinely good.

There are classic restaurants with delicious Thuringian cuisine and plenty of young, creative spots. You can have a fantastic culinary tour through the city! We’ve listed our restaurant recommendations further below.

And then there’s the famous Thuringian bratwurst. Growing up in Thuringia, you’re raised on this sausage — more or less — and you don’t truly appreciate its unique flavor until you’re no longer living there.

What ends up on grills in other parts of the country is completely baffling to Thuringians. Give it a try. There are several bratwurst stands around the city. We promise you’ll be impressed.

Great Music Comes From Erfurt

Music and Erfurt simply go hand in hand. The city has a whole range of great clubs where concerts regularly take place: the Engelsburg, HsD and Museumskeller, Central Club, Franz Mehlhose, and Kalif Storch.

So it’s no surprise that a whole host of great musicians have come from Erfurt. The musical god of the city is of course Clueso, who has a massive fan base across Germany. On top of that, Clueso is just a great guy who, despite all his success, continues to live in Erfurt and has created a wonderful project there with the Zughafen.

Erfurt is a City, But Also a Village

Erfurt has 210,000 residents — what you’d call a mid-sized city. What’s certain is that Erfurt basically has everything you need for a good life: excellent shopping, a genuinely good public transit system (the trams even run almost all night), great theaters, museums, and other cultural institutions.

Life is good here. And yet Erfurt stays manageable. The city center is easy to explore on foot, the surrounding neighborhoods are easily reachable by bike — and if you live here, you’re guaranteed to run into someone you know out in the city.

So Erfurt is also a village. But a damn cool one.

Erfurt is the City of Flowers

Erfurt doesn’t just have beautiful buildings to offer — it’s also very green. There are lovely parks on the edges of the city center, and to the southeast the Steigerwald forest stretches out. From downtown, it might take you just 15 minutes to find yourself deep in the woods. That’s pretty cool.

But in Erfurt it’s not just trees — above all, there are flowers. That’s why Erfurt is also called the City of Flowers. This goes back to around 1900, when Erfurt was a world-leading center for horticulture and plant cultivation.

That’s no longer the case today, yet flowers still play an important role. Evidence of this includes the enormous flower bed in the shape of Erfurt’s city coat of arms on the Petersberg, and above all the egapark in the southwest of the city — where you’ll get a full dose of flowers, including the largest flower bed in Europe.

In 2021, Erfurt hosted the Federal Garden Show. Even though it played out a bit differently than planned due to COVID, it reinforced Erfurt’s reputation as the City of Flowers.

Our Hotel Recommendations for Erfurt

There’s no shortage of hotels in Erfurt. Most fall into the mid-range category. Budget options are usually far from the center, and there are no true luxury hotels in Erfurt.

The following hotels in Erfurt come recommended:
Hotel Domizil: A family-run hotel right on Cathedral Square with outstanding, personalized service.

H2 Hotel: A brand-new hotel in a great location with excellent value for money.

Hotel Alma Am Anger: This hotel has 4-star plus status and is often called Erfurt’s best hotel. Located on a small side street off the Anger.

Hotel Am Kaisersaal: Officially only 3 stars, but definitely one of the best hotels in the city — located very close to the Krämerbrücke.

Das Kehrs: A charming boutique hotel on the Petersberg. Super quiet location, close to the old town, great concept.

Prizeotel: An affordable but very modern hotel right at the main train station.

Opera Hostel: An affordable but very good hostel on the edge of the Erfurt old town.

All hotels on this list are located in the old town or in its immediate vicinity, so all the sights are within easy walking distance.

Our Restaurant and Bar Recommendations for Erfurt

We mentioned it earlier: Erfurt is not only beautiful, it’s also seriously delicious. We actually intended to keep the restaurant tips relatively brief. Well, that didn’t quite work out.

Thuringian Bratwurst

A visit to Erfurt naturally calls for a bratwurst (per day). The best place for that is Faustfood at Waagegasse 1. In a converted medieval barn right in the middle of the old town, you can enjoy your bratwurst and other tasty things from the grill under cover, no matter the season. They also serve very good burgers.

Delicious bratwurst can also be found at the bratwurst stand on Schlösserbrücke between Anger and Fischmarkt.

Classic Thuringian Cuisine

If you’re after really good, traditional Thuringian cooking, you’ll definitely find it in Erfurt.

Here are our picks:
Feuerkugel: The Gasthaus Feuerkugel at Michaelisstraße 3-4 is one of the most traditional restaurants in the city and famous for its Thuringian dumplings.

Zum guldenen Rade: Also an excellent address for Thuringian cuisine at Marktstraße 4. In summer you can sit very pleasantly in the courtyard.

Something Different

Erfurt now has a whole range of young, creative spots where you can eat really well.

The following restaurants come highly recommended:
Kromer’s Restaurant & Gewölbekeller: A highly praised restaurant at Kleinen Arche 4. German cuisine with a modern twist.

EAT: The Eat at Pilse 7 is dedicated entirely to street food. The pulled pork is outstanding, and the place as a whole is simply fantastic. The owner David is a little crazy — in the best way — and will not only feed you well but entertain you thoroughly.

International Cuisine

Erfurt has a lot of Italian restaurants. They’re all perfectly fine, but unfortunately none of them truly stand out.

Our tip for international food in Erfurt:
Kua Thai Bistro: Excellent, authentic Thai food. The place is small and not particularly cozy, but it serves incredibly authentic Thai food of a kind you’ll find only very rarely in Germany. The Kua Thai Bistro is about ten minutes from the old town, at Leipziger Straße 42.

Bars and Pubs in Erfurt

The density of bars and pubs in Erfurt is truly impressive. You’ll find most of them on Michaelisstraße and in the surrounding alleyways of the old town.

Here are our recommendations:
Speicher: The Speicher at Waagegasse 2 is a great combination of bar and gallery, housed in an old — surprise — warehouse building in the old town.

Modern Masters: Modern Masters at Michaelisstraße 48 serves without a doubt the best cocktails in Erfurt. The cocktail master holds countless European, world, and all-around championships in cocktail mixing, and you can really tell. Prices are pretty steep by Erfurt standards, though. Happy hour runs from 6 to 8 PM, and on Fridays and Saturdays only until 7:00 PM.

Nerly: A bar in 1920s style — Marktstraße 6 (somewhat hidden in the back building)

Double B: Another Erfurt institution, also great for breakfast — Marbacher Gasse 10.

Cafe Tikolor: The Tiko is simply a great bar, often with live music — Wenigemarkt 6a (in the small alley behind the Krämerbrücke)

Karibik Bar: An absolute dive bar at Michaelisstraße 10. Still open when everything else has closed. Officially until 4:00 AM, usually even later.

Practical Travel Tips: The Best Ways to Explore Erfurt

Travel Guides for Erfurt

Erfurt is not particularly complicated to explore, and you’ll get along just fine without a travel guide.

If you want to dive a little deeper into the city, we recommend the DuMont direkt travel guide to Erfurt. It’s the most comprehensive guide available for the city.

If you only have a single day in Erfurt but don’t want to wander aimlessly through the streets, then Erfurt in One Day: A City Walk is exactly what you need.

Not only for visitors but also for locals, the book 111 Places in Erfurt That You Shouldn’t Miss by Erfurt cabaret artist and local legend Ulf Annel is guaranteed to reveal places that even many residents don’t know or have never visited. Highly recommended!

Discover Erfurt's Sights on a Guided City Tour

It’s definitely worth taking a guided tour in Erfurt and exploring the sights with a local guide.

We took one during our visit too, and even though Basti knows nearly everything about Erfurt, it was still fascinating. The many little stories and background details about individual buildings are especially interesting.

A wide selection of tours and special walks can be found on the Erfurt Tourism website.

A great way to explore the highlights on your own while still learning something is the self-guided scavenger hunt through the old town.

Getting to Erfurt by Train

There are few cities of this size that are as well connected to the rail network as Erfurt. From hardly any city in Germany do you need much more than four hours by train to get here — from Berlin it’s less than two hours, and even from Munich it’s only two hours and 30 minutes.

Erfurt’s main train station is about a five-minute walk from the old town, so most places to stay are within walking distance from there.

Getting There by Car and Parking in the Old Town

Erfurt is also easily reachable by car. The city lies along the A4 and A71 highways, and the city center is only about ten minutes from the highway in either direction.

Parking in Erfurt, however, isn’t quite so simple. The old town is largely car-free, and in the surrounding streets, parking is only available for a fee.

We’d recommend booking a hotel with parking. There is a large parking garage right at Cathedral Square — for 24 hours, you’ll pay 12 euros.

Free parking is available at one of the many Park & Ride lots on the outskirts of the city, from where you can reach the city center by tram in 10–15 minutes.

Overview of Park & Ride lots in Erfurt

Public Transportation in Erfurt

Public transit in Erfurt is very well developed. There are a total of six tram lines, and the central hub in the city center is the Anger, where all six lines converge.

To get from the main train station to the old town, you can take lines 2 (toward Messe), 3 (toward Europaplatz), and 6 (toward Rieth). All three lines stop at the Anger, Fischmarkt, and Cathedral Square stations, near which most hotels are located.

For schedules and ticket information, check directly on the Erfurt Transit Authority website.

ErfurtCard: Our Tip for Anyone Who Wants to Do a Lot of Sightseeing

The ErfurtCard is an offer from Erfurt Tourism. The card is valid for 48 hours and gives you free admission to all city museums and the Old Synagogue.

You can also join a guided city tour with the card and receive additional discounts at various theaters, the zoo, and the egapark.

The card costs 14.90 euros per person. Alternatively, you can buy the ErfurtTravelCard for 19.90 euros, which also includes unlimited use of all public transportation.

The cards are available at the tourist information office at Benediktsplatz, right next to the Krämerbrücke, or you can order them online in advance.

Our Erfurt Travel Video

And if you’d rather watch moving images, here’s a short film to get you in the mood: