10 Best Sights in Erfurt, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia

Behind the predominantly neo-Gothic Rathaus, Erfurt's most outstanding attraction spans the Gera River. This medieval bridge, comparable to the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, is the longest of its kind in Europe and the only completely preserved and inhabited bridge of that era. Built in 1325 and restored in 1967–73, the bridge served for centuries as an important trading center. Today antiques shops, bistros, and more fill the majority of the timber-frame houses built into the bridge, some dating from the 16th century. The city is determined to keep the bridge as a site for traditional handicrafts, so look for the marionette maker and the pigment merchant. The bridge comes alive on the third weekend of June for the Krämerbrückenfest.

Erfurt's most picturesque square is bordered by houses dating from the 16th century and dominated by twin churches. The daily market is a great place to get a Thuringian bratwurst from one of the many stands.

A relatively affluent quarter developed behind the church of St. Andreas and extended toward the river during the middle ages. Though the houses were smaller than those of the exceptionally wealthy woad traders, this quarter was home to successful craftsmen and other laborers in small narrow houses built on small alleys. All through the Old City look for decorative house names like Haus zum kleinen Apfel (House at the Small Apple). Before street names and house numbers, buildings were given names that served as a postal address; there are signs like these on many of Erfurt’s buildings.

The city's main transportation hub and pedestrian zone, the Anker had already been part of medieval Erfurt with the continent's largest woad market. The area saw change as a result of urban expansion due to the growth of the railroad in Thuringia in the early 19th century. With some exceptions, the houses are all architecturally historicized, making them look much older than they really are. The Hauptpostgebäude was erected in 1892 in a mock Gothic style.

The area around the Krämerbrücke, crisscrossed with old streets lined with picturesque homes and shops, is known as Little Venice because of the small streams and recurrent flooding it endured until a flood canal was built in the early 20th Century.

This cathedral's Romanesque origins (foundations can be seen in the crypt) are best preserved in the choir's glorious stained-glass windows and beautifully carved stalls, and its biggest bell, the Gloriosa, is the largest free-swinging medieval bell in the world. Cast in 1497, it took three years to install in the tallest of the three sharply pointed towers, painstakingly lifted inch by inch with wooden wedges. No chances are taken with this 2-ton treasure; its deep boom resonates only on special occasions, such as Christmas and New Year's. The Mariendom is reached by way of a broad staircase from the expansive Cathedral Square.

In the Middle Ages Erfurt hosted a large Jewish community, as is evident in a large synagogue that is one of the oldest in Central Europe. A pogrom destroyed the community in the 14th century, and the city repurposed the building, renovating it several times. During renovations in 1999 in a nearby building, workers uncovered more than 30 kg of gold and silver in coins and objects buried by the community during the pogrom. The Erfurt Treasure is the heart of the museum.

The young Martin Luther studied the law before switching to theology at Erfurt University from 1501 to 1505. After a personal revelation, Luther asked to become a monk in the St. Augustin Kloster on July 17, 1505. He became an ordained priest here in 1507, and remained at the Kloster until 1511. Today the Kloster is a seminary and retreat hotel as well as a popular concert venue. There's also a small museum showing what the life of an Augustinian monk was like in Luther's day.

This Gothic church has an extraordinary font, a masterpiece of intricately carved sandstone that reaches practically to the ceiling. It's linked to the cathedral by a 70-step open staircase.

In the old city to the west of the Kramerbrücke are two important streets. The Waagegasse is a narrow street, with no outlets, that forced traders along the Via Regia into the city towards the scales that would weigh their goods. Erfurt collected taxes on these goods, and merchants were required to store their wares in Erfurt for two days in a Speicherhaus. There are several of these warehouses at the end of the alleyway.

The Michaelisstraße today is a street with pubs and restaurants that at least partially remains true to its original purpose. Erfurt owes a great deal of its wealth to the trade in Woad (Waidpflanze), a cabbage-like plant used to create a spectacular blue pigment. Since blue cloth was a symbol of wealth and the only other source of blue dye was indigo from the Ottoman empire, \"Erfurt Blue\" was in high demand all over Europe. In the many courtyards along the street, A Waidknecht (a Woad-hand) made the valuable dye by fermenting the dried leaves of the plant in urine. Erfurt's wealthy burghers provided a plentiful source of the essential liquid by establishing a number of breweries near the factories. You can still buy the dye and colored cloth at the Erfurt Blau shop ( Kramerbrücke 2  www.erfurterblau.de).