Erfurt
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Jewish Medieval Heritage Of Erfurt (2023); The Old Synagogue And Mikveh, The Kraemerbruecke Lined With Inhabited Houses, And The Cathedral And Severikirche On One Hill · Erfurt, Thuringia
Erfurt is the Thuringian capital and the easiest of the state's three big stops to like: a largely intact medieval town of about 215,000 people that was not flattened in the war and is not overrun by visitors. Its best-known object is the Kraemerbruecke, a stone bridge over the little Gera lined on both sides with inhabited houses and small shops, the longest of its kind still standing in Europe. In 2023 UNESCO inscribed the city's Jewish medieval heritage: the Old Synagogue, parts of it from the eleventh century and among the oldest surviving synagogue buildings in Europe; a mikveh by the river; and the Erfurt Treasure, a hoard of coins, silver and a Jewish wedding ring buried before the pogrom of 1349. Above the town the cathedral and the Severikirche stand side by side at the top of one broad staircase, which is the view on every postcard. Martin Luther became a monk here, in the Augustinian monastery, before he ever saw Wittenberg.
Erfurt old town, from the Kraemerbruecke to the cathedral hill, central Thuringia, Erfurt, Thuringia, Germany
The Kraemerbruecke is a public street and never closes; its shops keep ordinary retail hours and most shut on Sundays. The cathedral and the Severikirche open free through the day and close to sightseers during services, which on Sunday mornings means most of the morning. Museums, including the Old Synagogue, follow the German pattern of one closing day a week, commonly Monday, with shorter winter hours. The Petersberg Citadel ramparts are open and free at all times; its tunnels are seen only on a guided tour. The Egapark has long summer and short winter hours - confirm all of these.