Hotels in Erfurt

Erfurt survived the war largely intact, which is why its medieval core still works: the Kraemerbruecke, a stone bridge lined with 32 inhabited houses, is the longest such structure in Europe and still has shops built into it. Above the market square rise the twin Gothic spires of the cathedral and St Severus church, and the Old Synagogue, parts of it dated to around 1094 and now the oldest intact synagogue in Europe, has become a UNESCO-listed museum.

Martin Luther studied here and became a friar at the Augustinian monastery before the Reformation, so the city sells itself hard on him. It is the compact Thuringian capital rather than a big night out, and you will exhaust the headline sights in a day. Stay in the Altstadt near the Kraemerbruecke for the bridge, the cathedral and easy walking.