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City guide

Erfurt

Erfurt (German pronunciation: [ˈɛʁfʊʁt] ) is the capital and largest city of the Central German state of Thuringia, with a population of around 216,000. It lies in the wide valley of the River Gera, in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin, north of the Thuringian Forest, and in the middle of a line of the six largest Thuringian cities, stretching from Eisenach in the west, via Gotha, Erfurt, Weimar and Jena, to Gera in the east.

Type CityPopulation 216,000

Why go

  • Capital of Thuringia, Germany.
  • Served by Erfurt-Weimar Airport (ERF).

History

Erfurt (German pronunciation: [ˈɛʁfʊʁt] ) is the capital and largest city of the Central German state of Thuringia, with a population of around 216,000. It lies in the wide valley of the River Gera, in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin, north of the Thuringian Forest, and in the middle of a line of the six largest Thuringian cities, stretching from Eisenach in the west, via Gotha, Erfurt, Weimar and Jena, to Gera in the east. Together with Kassel and Göttingen, it is one of the cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants lying closest to the geographic centre of Germany. Erfurt is 100 km (62 mi) south-west of Leipzig, 250 km (155 mi) north-east of Frankfurt, 300 km (186 mi) south-west of Berlin and 400 km (249 mi) north of Munich.

Restaurants & places to go

Peter Pane
Burger, Restaurant · Opening hours: 11:00+ Features: outdoor seating, vegan options, step-free access Wikipedia: de:Peter Pane · 33 Anger, Erfurt, 99084 · peterpane.de
Indoor
Genatswale
Georgian, Cafe · Georgische Spezialitäten Opening hours: Tu-Su 15:00-22:00 Features: outdoor seating · 23 Schillerstraße, Erfurt, 99096 · genatswale-erfurt.de
Indoor
Takumi
Sushi, Asian, Restaurant · Asian Cuisine & Sushi Bar Opening hours: Mo off; Tu-Su 11:30+ Features: outdoor seating, vegetarian options, step-free access · 1… · takumi-erfurt.de
Indoor
Roma
Italian, Restaurant · Pizzeria – Ristorante – Eiscafe Opening hours: Mo-Su 10:00-24:00 Features: outdoor seating, vegetarian options · 5 Schlösserstraße,… · roma-erfurt.de
Indoor
Waldhaus
Italian, Restaurant · Öffnungszeiten temporär eingeschränkt; Biergarten ohne Ruhetag Opening hours: Mo, We-Su 11:00-22:00 Features: outdoor seating · 12… · waldhaus-erfurt.de
Indoor
Wirtshaus Christoffel
German, Regional, Restaurant · Ritterstube, rustikal Opening hours: Mo-Su,PH 11:00-24:00+ Features: vegetarian options · 41 Michaelisstraße, Erfurt, 99084 · wirtshaus-christoffel-erfurt.de
Indoor
Albasha
Arab, Restaurant · Orient Food, Grill, Falafel, Cafe Opening hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-22:00; Sa-Su 11:30-22:00 · 2 Magdeburger Allee · lieferando.de
Indoor
Ma'loa
Poke, Fast Food · Opening hours: Mo,Fr 12:00-19:00; Tu-Th,Sa 11:30-20:00 Features: takeaway, vegan options · 65 Anger · maloa.com
Indoor

292 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →

Airports

Erfurt-Weimar Airport (ERF) 5.2 km to the centre
Erfurt, TH, DE — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 1 airline (Germania) · direct flights to 6 destinations incl. Antalya, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, London, Palma de Mallorca… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 1 airline, 6 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Eisenach-Kindel Airport (EIB) 39 km to the centre
Hörselberg-Hainich, TH, DE — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Indoor | Outdoor
Arnstadt-Alkersleben Airfield 17 km to the centre
Osthausen-Wülfershausen, TH, DE
Outdoor
Gotha-Ost Airfield 21 km to the centre
Gotha, TH, DE
Outdoor
Sömmerda-Dermsdorf Airfield 26 km to the centre
Kölleda, TH, DE
Outdoor
Bad Langensalza Airfield 32 km to the centre
Bad Langensalza, TH, DE
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

Erfurt
Erfurt
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Erfurt-Weimar Airport (ERF); 10 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: ERF has direct flights to 6 destinations on 1 airline (incl. Antalya, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, London, Palma de Mallorca…).

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Erfurt. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Local transit

Erfurter Verkehrsbetriebe AG
Public transit · Schedules & GTFS data
Verkehrsverbund Mittelthüringen (VMT)
Public transit · Schedules & GTFS data

Trains & rail

Erfurter Bahn
Rail operator
Heavy Haul Power International
Rail operator
Raildox
Rail operator
Süd-Thüringen-Bahn
Rail operator
Deutsche Bahn
National rail
Rennsteigbahn GmbH & Co. KG
National rail

Coaches & shuttles

FlixBus
Intercity coach

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Air Hamburg
Charter · Embraer Legacy & Praetor, Falcon, Global · Germany's largest charter operator by fleet.
DC Aviation
Charter, management · Light to large-cabin · Charter and management from Stuttgart and Munich.
Padjet
Charter · Cessna Citation · German business-jet charter operator.
Air Charter Service
Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
ExecuJet
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.