In Erfurt’s Old Town, the Old Synagogue, the mikveh and the Stone House together form part of the city’s Jewish medieval heritage. Their connection also tells the story of a society in transition: amid the medieval development of a city at the crossroads of important trade routes, the ensemble illustrates how a Jewish community lived alongside a predominantly Christian society.
The long history of construction can be read in the Old Synagogue. Most of its exceptionally well-preserved structure dates from around 1100 to the early 14th century, when it was used as a synagogue. At the mikveh, its original function as a ritual bath is fully perceptible. The Stone House completes the ensemble as its third component.
Bridge, Churches and Monastery
The Krämerbrücke is Europe’s longest continuously built-up and inhabited bridge. It is 120 metres long and has 32 houses. Galleries and shops offer regional handicrafts such as Thuringian blue-print textiles, hand-painted ceramics, Lauscha glass and wood carvings. Regional delicacies, including Unstrut wines, are also available. In this way, the structure combines its distinctive form with a glimpse of products from Erfurt and Thuringia.
The Evangelical Augustinian Monastery in Erfurt is a rare example of medieval monastic architecture preserved as a largely intact complex. Its architectural ensemble includes the church, three enclosed courtyards, and convent and service buildings. Martin Luther entered the Augustinian Monastery in 1505 and celebrated his first Mass there in 1507. The two dates mark different stages of his time in Erfurt.
Erfurt Cathedral of St Mary and St Severus also offer distinctive insights into sacred architecture. The cathedral’s central tower houses the medieval free-swinging bell Gloriosa. St Severus is a five-aisled Gothic hall church; its furnishings include the Severus sarcophagus, a stone Madonna and a 15-metre-high baptismal font.
Fortress and Views of Erfurt
Petersberg Citadel is one of the largest Baroque city fortresses in Central Europe and the only one to have been largely preserved. During a visit, you can explore the exhibition in the Commandant’s House and the listening tunnels in the massive fortress walls. Its elevated position and star-shaped layout offer several vantage points with sweeping views across Erfurt. Sunsets can be seen from the Michael Bastion in the west.
Garden Worlds and Nature
egapark Erfurt is an important garden monument from the 1960s and comprises 20 themed gardens. At Danakil, visitors pass through desert and tropical environments and learn how plants and animals have adapted to extreme living conditions. The park also includes Thuringia’s largest playground, with a children’s farm and water area, as well as the historic Cyriaksburg Castle, home to the German Horticultural Museum.
Erfurt’s Steigerwald has been a protected landscape since 1940. The city has 550 hectares of recreational areas, around 2,000 hectares of forest, 379 hectares of water and 156 kilometres of river courses. These figures give the city’s natural spaces a place of their own alongside its buildings and gardens. The Thuringian Zoopark Erfurt covers around 63 hectares and is home to more than 1,000 animals from around the world in enclosures modelled on natural habitats. The range thus extends from protected landscapes and landscaped gardens to animal enclosures inspired by a variety of habitats.
Discover More Destinations
Erfurt, Kerspleben, Molsdorf, Frienstedt, Tiefthal, Kühnhausen, Niedernissa, Schmalkalden-Meiningen
To the main travel overview: Thuringia.
