Erfurt Travel Guide: What to Do in The Fairytale City On a Berlin Day Trip

Many might not have heard of the German state of Thuringia, which is located in the heart of the country.

It’s central location means it’s an easy day trip option from many major cities, and with just under 2 hours on a train from Berlin, I knew I had to visit Thuringia’s truly stunning capital city of Erfurt.

Formerly part of the East German territory, Erfurt’s sparkle and old world charm belies it’s tough history.

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Today, Erfurt is stunning, and well worth the trip out, especially if you’re looking for something a little different from the big city rush of Berlin.

What to See & Do

Domplatz

One of the most important and stunning squares in the city is Domplatz, at the foot of the two biggest sites in the city— the Erfurt Cathedral and St. Severi Church.

With the awe-inspiring cathedrals on one side and the fringe of the stunning old town on the other, Domplatz is one of the most beautiful squares around.

It plays home to the annual Christmas markets every festive season, as well as farmers markets from time to time.

Erfurter Dom

Instantly recognisable from afar, the Erfurt Cathedral is set atop a hill.

Also known as Dom St. Marien, the Erfurt Cathedral has 3 towers, with the middle housing the largest medieval bell in the world.

It’s also the oldest church building in all of Erfurt.

Severikirche

Located next to the Erfurt Cathedral is the St. Severi church, which you can walk in to enjoy the architecture of from the pews.

Krämerbrücke

At the heart of the old town, and possibly the most talked about site is the stunning Krämerbrücke, aka the Merchant’s Bridge.

This medieval bridge is the longest continuously inhabited bridge in Europe, and brings to mind the Ponte Vecchio in Florence.

Have a browse at the many cosy boutiques lining the street— not to be missed is the famous chocolate manufacturer in town by the name of Goldhelm, which constantly has a line at it’s shopfront.

At the end of the street is also the Ägidienkirche, a church said to have a beautiful viewing deck of the old town at the top.

I tried looking for the entrance all over on the day I visited, but the church seemed close with no notice on the board, nor did I visit outside of operating hours, but it might be worth a shot if you’re in town and you see that it’s open.

Walk down a lane that leads you to the back of the Krämerbrücke, where you’ll find a beautiful view of the timbre houses on the bridge and the Gera River flowing beneath.

Other attractions worth visiting in the Altstadt are Fischmarkt and the Rathaus (or Town Hall), as well as the Old Synagogue, which dates back to the 11th century and is now a museum.

Get lost in the streets of the beautiful Old Town, where every corner seems more beautiful than the last.

Zitadelle Petersburg

The Petersburg Citadel is a sprawling complex that remains one of the largest and best preserved Baroque fortresses in Europe.

You can visit the museum here, but note that admission is ticketed.

There was commentary in both English and German but most of it was in German. I breezed through the exhibition quickly as I honestly felt it wasn’t terribly interesting.

It’s well-kept and clean though, and was relatively quiet when I visited.

So though I would say skip the museum if it’s not something you’re dying to find out more about, you have to come here for the sweeping views of the city and imposing Erfurt Cathedral and St. Severi Church.

Especially at sunset, the views here are unbelievable.

Andreasstraße Memorial and Educational Site

In a country with a difficult history, it would be remiss to gloss over some important, though incredibly heavy sites.

Erfurt, which used to be part of the former East Germany, is home to the Andreasstraße Memorial and Educational Site, housed in a former prison used by the East German Ministry of State Security (Stasi).

Many political prisoners were detained here, and on the top floor of the museum, you’ll get to see the cells that held the prisoners, as well as their stories told in various mediums and formats.

I found this part of the tour to be the most affecting, and downright bone-chilling as I stepped into the cells.

I couldn’t stay on that floor for long.

The rest of the museum visit centres around what life was like in the former East Germany, and speaks about suppression and resistance during that time.

While almost all of the commentary is in German, you do get an audio guide for other languages (that you don’t have to pay additionally for), so I still found it to be immersive and educational.

Overall, I found the Andreasstraße museum to be both sobering and well worth the time.

Shopping

I ended my day trip itinerary at the Eastern corner of the old town, where you’ll find ANGER 1, a shopping mall, as well as plenty of big international labels now in just about every town and city; from H&M to Zara, to C&A and Levi’s.

TIPS

I found Erfurt to be well worth the trip out, considering how easy it is to get to from Berlin, and even quicker if you’re coming from Leipzig.

I bought a 24 hour transport ticket for the day, as I tend to do in European cities to save the hassle of buying a ticket each time, and though it wasn’t as expensive as other cities in Germany, I found it wasn’t all that necessary.

The only time I truly utilised the tram was to get from the main station to Domplatz, and from the shopping streets in Altstadt back to the Erfurt hauptbahnhof to get the train back to Berlin.

And even then, it was only a 10 minute tram ride up to Erfurt Cathedral and a 4 minute tram ride from ANGER 1.

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