Erfurt: Jewish Heritage, Krämerbrücke and Green Discoveries
Accommodation in Erfurt
Erfurt combines impressive evidence of medieval history with gardens, forests and bodies of water. If you want to plan a trip with cultural discoveries and experiences in nature, you’ll find a range of attractions here: from Jewish-medieval heritage and Krämerbrücke to Steigerwald and egapark. This variety makes Erfurt an appealing destination and provides a good starting point for finding the right holiday apartment for your stay.
Die Krämerbrücke in Erfurt ist eine bewohnte historische Brücke.
Photo: Jorge Pérez de Lara via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Jewish Heritage and Medieval Urban History
The Jewish-Medieval Heritage of Erfurt includes the Old Synagogue, the mikveh and the Stone House. Together, these sites illustrate how a Jewish community lived alongside a predominantly Christian society as the city developed during the Middle Ages. At that time, Erfurt was at the intersection of important trade routes. This gives a visit a historical context that goes beyond viewing individual buildings.
The particularly well-preserved structure of the Old Synagogue dates largely from around 1100 to the early 14th century, when the building was used as a synagogue. The mikveh’s original function as a ritual bath is fully evident. If you’re interested in history and religious culture, you can make these sites a focus of your trip.
Bridges, Churches and a Fortress
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 crafts, including Thuringian blue-dyed fabrics, hand-painted ceramics, Lauscha glass and wood carvings. Regional delicacies, such as wines from the Unstrut region, are also available. The bridge thus combines its distinctive architecture with craftsmanship and regional products.
The medieval bell Gloriosa hangs in the central tower of St Mary’s Cathedral. St Severus is a Gothic hall church with five naves. Its notable features include the Severi sarcophagus, a stone Madonna and a 15-metre-high baptismal font. The Evangelical Augustinian Monastery of Erfurt, with its church, three enclosed courtyards, and convent and service buildings, is a rare, well-preserved example of a complete medieval monastic complex. Martin Luther joined the monastery in 1505 and celebrated his first mass there in 1507.
The Petersberg Citadel offers a distinctive attraction of its own: it is one of the largest Baroque city fortresses in Central Europe and the only one to have survived largely intact. During a visit, you can explore the exhibition in the Commandant’s House and the listening passages inside the massive fortress walls. Its elevated position and star-shaped layout offer several viewpoints with sweeping views across Erfurt; sunsets can be seen from the western Michael Bastion.
Gardens, Forest and Wildlife
Alongside its historic architecture, Erfurt also has extensive green spaces and bodies of water. The city landscape includes 550 hectares of recreational areas, around 2,000 hectares of forest, 379 hectares of water and 156 kilometres of rivers and streams. Erfurt’s Steigerwald has been a protected landscape area since 1940. These figures describe different aspects of the city landscape and give nature lovers another reason to explore Erfurt beyond its historic sights.
egapark Erfurt is an important garden heritage site from the 1960s, with 20 themed gardens. The park also features 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. At Danakil, visitors pass through desert and tropical environments and learn how plants and animals have adapted to extreme living conditions. If you’re particularly interested in garden culture, different habitats, or wildlife and plants, you can give these themes greater prominence when planning your itinerary.
The Thuringian Zoo Park Erfurt covers around 63 hectares and is home to more than 1,000 animals from around the world, in enclosures modelled on natural habitats. Together with the gardens and Danakil, it broadens the cultural experience to include natural habitats and wildlife.
Choosing Erfurt as a Destination
Looking for a holiday apartment in Erfurt is a good approach if you want the city’s sights and attractions to be the focus of your trip. To decide which experiences matter most to you, you can choose from clear themes: Jewish heritage and medieval architecture, churches and the fortress, regional products on Krämerbrücke, or gardens and wildlife.
More places
For a location-based selection, you can also view the pages for Niedernissa, Erfurt, Kerspleben, Molsdorf, Frienstedt, Tiefthal and Kühnhausen.
For the broader travel overview: Thuringia.
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