Erfurt

Erfurt is the capital and largest city of the Central German state of Thuringia. It is 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, close to the geographic centre of Germany. Erfurt is 100 km south-west of Leipzig, 250 km north-east of Frankfurt, 300 km south-west of Berlin and 400 km north of Munich.

Erfurt's old town is one of the best preserved medieval city centres in Germany. Tourist attractions include the Merchants' Bridge, the Old Synagogue, the oldest in Europe, Cathedral Hill with the ensemble of Erfurt Cathedral and St Severus' Church and Petersberg Citadel, one of the largest and best preserved town fortresses in Central Europe.