Experience the wonderful city of Erfurt – 3 days/ 2 nights

Erfurt is the German city that international itineraries consistently miss, which is exactly why it is worth three days. The medieval centre came through the war almost untouched, so what your clients walk through is not a reconstruction. Cobbled streets, a cathedral hill, a bridge with houses built along it and a compact, genuinely lived-in old town make this the most rewarding small city in central Germany.

The set pieces

Two churches stand together on the Domberg above the market square: Erfurt Cathedral and the church of St. Severus, reached by a broad flight of steps that doubles as the city’s outdoor auditorium. Below them, the Kraemerbruecke is the longest inhabited bridge in Europe, lined on both sides with narrow houses holding workshops, small galleries and cafes – your clients can cross it without realising they are over water. The Angermuseum holds the city’s art collections, and the squares and courtyards in between reward slow walking more than a checklist does.

How three days are used

• Day 1 – arrival, orientation walk through the old town and the market squares, dinner in a traditional Thuringian restaurant
• Day 2 – a full guided day: the Domberg, the Kraemerbruecke, the merchant courtyards and the medieval fountains, with the Angermuseum in the afternoon
• Day 3 – time at leisure along the Gera river and in the parks, contemporary galleries and shops, or an excursion into the surrounding Thuringian countryside before departure

Eating, and the Luther connection

Thuringian food is a reason to come: the bratwurst is a regional institution rather than a snack, and the local restaurants take it seriously. Erfurt is also where Martin Luther studied and entered the Augustinian monastery, which still stands and can be visited – for clients following the Reformation route this is a required stop, and for everyone else it is a quiet cloister in the middle of a city. Your guide will pitch the emphasis to the party rather than to a script, and Erfurt is small enough that changing the plan at breakfast costs nothing.

Season, pace and where it fits

The old town is at its best from May to September and again in December, when the Christmas market fills the cathedral steps and is among the most photogenic in Germany. The pace here is gentle and the distances short, which makes it a good third or fourth stop in a longer German itinerary when a party needs to slow down. It sits naturally between Berlin and Bavaria and combines well with the five-day Eastern German Highlights tour or with a private walking tour of Dresden. Further products are listed in our Erfurt portfolio and our East Germany portfolio, and guide languages under our professional guide service.