Car Hire Erfurt
Mini guide to Erfurt
Erfurt, capital of Thuringia, has one of Germany’s best preserved medieval city centres, with magnificent Renaissance buildings, half-timbered houses and the quaint structures on the famous Krämerbrücke (Grocers’ Bridge).
The town is most famous for the Krämerbrücke, which has spanned the Gera since the 14th century. Its three dozen houses on both sides are filled with bookstalls, cafés and antique shops. The ecclesiastical centre is the Domberg, where two Catholic churches stand side by side overlooking the main square, the 12th century Gothic-style Dom and the ‘hall type’ St Severi with its five naves.
Nearly everything of interest is concentrated in the Altstadt (old town) area. It's well worth taking two or three hours to walk around this city of winding cobbled alleys and church spires. Across the river is the city's other main square, the Anger, which boasts the excellent Anger Museum.
Erfurt has many historical restaurants where you can take part in Medieval and Luther banquets. One of Europe's biggest horticultural shows, the Internationale Gartenbauaustellung, is held in Cyriaksburg Park every year from the end of March to September. The park also houses a kids’ fun farm.
Cyriaksburg Park is just outside the city and easy to get to by car. Farther afield is Gotha, famed for the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha family and dominated by the great 17th century Schloss Friedenstein Palace. Weimar, to the east, epitomises all that is good in the German cultural tradition with its fine streets and squares, green spaces and monuments.
Access by car is via the E40 autobahn and state highway 4. High-speed trains arrive from Frankfurt’s main airport station. Erfurt Airport is five kilometres west of the city and bus 99 (Monday-Friday) goes from Terminal B to the city; alternatively, buses 91 and 92 (all days) go as far as Hauptfriedhof, where you can change to tram line number 4 to reach the city.
