![\"Erfurt](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/kraemerbruecke.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis bridge was\nbuilt right next to a ford in the river Gera and is part of the trade\nroute Via Regia. The bridge was originally made from wood and burnt\ndown multiple times before it was rebuilt with stone.
\nThe first\nbridge with uninhabited half-timbered stalls was completed in 1325.\nChurches with entry gates stood at both ends of the bridge. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Kr\u00e4merbridge is a vaulted bridge of 79 meters length made from limestone and sandstone. It consists of 6 barrel vaults that all differ in size. A fire destroyed big parts of Erfurt in 1472. The reconstruction works that followed transformed the Kr\u00e4merbridge into the bridge we see today. 62 three-storey half-timbered houses stood on the bridge until the 18th<\/sup> century. After that, the number came down due to new developments and the merging of buildings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, there are 32 houses left on the Kr\u00e4merbridge. All of them except four are property of the city. A charity supports the preservation of the landmark. An info centre around the work of the charity can be found in number 31 on Kr\u00e4merbridge. We went in and watched the goings-on on the bridge for a little while. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of the houses on the bridge house shops for art and antiques on the ground floor. I browsed some of those shops and it seems like one can find many wonderful things in them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Church of St. Aegidius is located at one end of the Kr\u00e4merbr\u00fccke (Merchant\u2019s Bridge). Visitors have access to the tower which is 33 meters tall. From the top one has a wonderful view of the Kr\u00e4merbr\u00fccke and the surrounding Old Town. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The way up to the top is quite something, though. The stairs are narrow and steep. Thankfully, there are some landings that break up the stairs and allow for oncoming traffic to pass. I even pass the church bells. A quick glimpse at my watch to ensure that I am not standing right next to them when they begin to ring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the top, a narrow walkway between the wall of the tower and the railing leads around the tower like a one-way street. If there is another visitor taking in the view one has to wait, there is hardly enough space to pass each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wenigemarkt 4 Tuesday to Sunday: 11.00 \u2013 18.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adults: 2.00\u20ac<\/p>\n\n\n\n The city of\nErfurt surrendered to the Archbishop in 1665. He ordered to have the\nold monastery on a hill transformed into a citadel. Farmers and\nmasons in labour service built four bastions which were all facing\nthe city. The Peterstor (Peter\u2019s Gate) and Command Centre House\nwere erected next. Today, the inner core of the baroque fortress is the last historic part standing. Visitors mainly come up to the top of the hill for the fantastic view of the city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We find ourselves in a small exhibition space inside the Command Centre House with information about the Petersberg Citadel on display. We are handed a small torch. But not the kind of torch that works on batteries and gives off decent light. No, this one is a tiny lamp that only produces a little light when one turns the small crank on its side. Armed with our dim light devices we enter the high corridors below the Petersberg Citadel in Erfurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is a high corridor? This question comes up very early in the tour. The so called high corridors were built below the walls of the fortress as countermines. Soldiers patrolled these corridors and were able to hear enemy attacks very early due to the acoustic properties of the countermines. They used this advantage to find out where the attack was coming from to stop it before any damage could be done to the walls. Roughly 2 kilometres of these high corridors still exist today and 400 meters of them can be walked as a visitor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wonky stairs lead down into the dark tunnel. The people with their torches in front of me look like a long, glowing snake slithering down the stairs. I am somewhat pleased that this snake in front of me indicates if we are going up or down next. The tunnel is narrow and I am relieved as we finally emerge into the daylight of the overground premises of the citadel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Petersberg 3, Tours can be booked via Erfurt Tourismus.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The D\u00fcrer House is an opportunity to learn about blueprinting. This traditional technique is presented to visitors who have booked a space in one of the blueprinting demonstration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We were given the opportunity to learn about the craft of blueprinting and I have to say it is really rather fascinating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Blueprinting is a technique to dye fabric. The process will result in blue fabric with a white pattern. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This technique to\ndye fabric appeared in Germany around 1689\/90. Today, the technique\nis somewhat refined but its basic process is pretty much still the\nsame. The fabric is soaked in the dye in a large container. It is important that the fabric is completely smooth during this process and that it is not touching other pieces of fabric. Both would result in an uneven colour in the final product. Every dyeing cycle takes 10 minutes. When the fabric shows the desired shade of blue, the process is finished. The sealing substance Papp is dissolved in an acid bath and the white pattern underneath is revealed. Next, the fabric has to be washed until no more blue pigments fall out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The fabric is then dried, cut and used in sewing projects. The wonderful products made with this fabric can be purchased in the D\u00fcrer House. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Schl\u00f6sserstra\u00dfe 38 Monday to Friday:\n10.00 \u2013 19.00 With reservation\nonly: The Cathedral of Erfurt thrones high above the city with the Severi Church right next to it. Stairs climb up Cathedral Hill, starting at the Cathedral Square (Domplatz) and ending right in front the main portal of the imposing building. Don\u2019t miss out on the interior of this church. Especially the baroque altar and the wonderful windows left me quite impressed. Sadly, my visit to the Cathedral was rather short. Next time, I would love to extend my time in the Cathedral, maybe even take part in a guided tour of the church and the bell tower. <\/p>\n\n\n\n November to April<\/strong> Unfortunately, the memorial was closed on the day of our visit. It commemorates the oppression and resistance of the people of the GDR during the SED regime. The building housed the former Ministry of State Security of the GDR and a detention centre. 5000 people were held here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The memorial foundation hands out audioguides that follow the traces of the Peaceful Revolution in Erfurt. We borrowed an audioguide and started our tour in front of the memorial. The audioguide takes its listeners on a 70-minute long tour through the city. At different stops the audioguide plays original sound clips and interviews with contemporary witnesses about the movement in Erfurt. A truly fascinating and special way of exploring a city. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Andreasstra\u00dfe 37a Tuesday,\nThursday: 12.00 \u2013 20.00 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Adults;\n2\u20ac We walk into the modern foyer of the Old Synagogue and after we have stowed away our belongings in the lockers we embark on our discovery tour through the building and the exhibition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Construction for this Jewish place of worship in Erfurt began in 1100. Over time the Synagogue was modified multiple times to accommodate the current use during each time period. Only very few elements from the time of the original construction are left today. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n The representative building was finally completed in 1270. Wooden barrel vaults arched over the interior, it had multiple big windows and one rose window. One can still see the ledges that were used as surfaces to place the candles that lit the room. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the Pogrom of 1349, the new owner of the Synagogue had it converted into a storage facility. This modification destroyed many of the original architectural elements. For 500 years the Synagogue was used for storage. In the late 19th<\/sup> century it was used for something different yet again. A tavern moved into the building. A dance hall was built and richly adorned with stucco and colourful paintings. All these modifications did great damage to the building that was no longer recognisable as a place of worship. However, this was what saved the building\u2019s life during the Nazi regime. The origins of the building remained undiscovered and it made it through the 3rd<\/sup> Reich undamaged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The city of Erfurt purchased the building in 1999 and started renovating it to protect what was left of the original construction. It was decided not to convert it back into a Synagogue but to keep the building as it was with all the vestiges of the past for the people to see. By 2009 the Museum Old Synagogue Erfurt had moved into the building and opened its doors for the public. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The building and\nits history alone are already worth a visit. But the exhibition that\nwe got to experience inside the building completely mesmerised me.\n Waagstra\u00dfe 8 Tuesday to Sunday: 10.00 \u2013 18.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adults:\n8\u20ac Delicious cakes and really good ice cream are waiting to be enjoyed at Goldhelm. There is an ice cream parlour directly on the Kr\u00e4merbr\u00fccke (Merchant\u2019s Bridge). They have housemade ice creams in very interesting flavours. The price per serving varies depending on the actual ingredients in the ice cream but this is a good place to splurge a little and get the ice cream served in one of their crunchy housemade waffle cones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For those who would rather indulge in some housemade cakes and delicious chocolate milks will find their preferred treat in the Caf\u00e9 at Kreuzgasse. This is where I had the best cake in a long time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Restaurant Feuerkugel (Fireball) is in the historic Old Town. I had Erfurt dark beer meat with Thuringia dumpling for dinner. The meat was very tender and was almost falling apart on the fork. But the dumplings with the sauce were simply the best. A great local dish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Michaelisstra\u00dfe 3-4 This is a hidden gem in Erfurt, the beer by a local beer manufactory called Heimat Hafen. Brewer Jan Schlennstedt has been brewing beer here since 2017 and he gives them fantastic names such as Gabi (a chilled light beer), Egon (Pilsner) or Jack (Pale Ale). As a beer lover, I can only say: smooth and full-bodied \u2013 really good!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The beers can be purchased in the factory shop and also in some other shops in Erfurt. They also offer brewing courses for those who always wanted to know how beer is made. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Zum G\u00fcterbahnhof 20 Wednesday: 16.00\n\u2013 19.00 I was invited to stay at the Radisson Blu in Erfurt for two nights. The hotel is about a 10-minute walk away from the central station and another 10-minute walk brings you to the Kr\u00e4merbr\u00fccke and the historic Old Town of Erfurt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The hotel has 282 rooms and suites in different price categories and offers free WiFi to all of its guests. We got a little hotel tour that included a glimpse into the presidential suite. This hotel \u201croom\u201d was bigger than our flat and had amenities the I can only dream of at home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nTower of the Church of St. Aegidius<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure><\/li><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAddress:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
99084 Erfurt<\/p>\n\n\n\nOpening Hours:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Tickets:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nPetersberg Citadel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\nAfter almost 40 years of construction, a\nfully closed fortress had risen on the Petersberg (Peter\u2019s Hill).\nCitizens were able to live self-sustained in the fortress for quite\nsome time. It had its own well, breweries and even small areas of\nfarmland. The walls were 6 to 8 meters wide and it was impossible for\nenemies to take the fortress. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nBarely lit tour through the high corridors of the citadel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAddress:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
99084 Erfurt<\/p>\n\n\n\nD\u00fcrerhaus \u2013 D\u00fcrer House<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat is blueprinting?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How does blueprinting work?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nCotton fabric is sealed with a substance that is called\n\u201cPapp\u201d (mush). This substance will keep the blue dye away from\nthe printed areas during the dyeing process. A stencil on a stick is\nused to bring the pattern onto the fabric. After a long drying\nperiod, the fabric is dyed blue with indigo or woad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAddress:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
99084 Erfurt<\/p>\n\n\n\nOpening Hours:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\nSaturday: 10.00 \u2013 18.00<\/p>\n\n\n\nDemonstrations:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n3\u20ac per person<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHigh Cathedral St. Mary of Erfurt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nOpening Hours:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Monday to Saturday: 09.30 \u2013 17.00
Sunday, Bank Holidays: 13.00 \u2013 17.00
May to October<\/strong>
Monday to Saturday: 09.30 \u2013 18.00
Sunday, Bank Holidays: 13.00 \u2013 18.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nMemorial and educational site Andreasstra\u00dfe \u2013 Ettersberg Foundation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nAddress:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
99084 Erfurt<\/p>\n\n\n\nOpening Hours:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\nFriday, Saturday, Sunday, Bank\nHolidays: 10.00 \u2013 18.00<\/p>\n\n\n\nTicket prices:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\nAudioguide: 3\u20ac (+ deposit)<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Old Synagogue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nAbout the Old Synagogue Erfurt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe exhibition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nThe ground floor is themed around the history of the\nconstruction and different uses of the building. The top floor holds\nhandwritten, mediaeval texts and more info around the history of the\nbuilding. But the highlight of the permanent exhibition is down in\nthe basement of the Synagogue. This is where the Treasure of Erfurt\nis on display. It is assumed that these are pieces that were buried\nduring the Pogrom of 1349 to protect them. Almost 30 kilograms of\nprecious metal can be seen down here. I particularly liked the\nfiligree pieces of jewellery. What extraordinary craftsmanship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAddress:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
99084 Erfurt<\/p>\n\n\n\nOpening Hours:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Ticket prices:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\nDiscounts are available. Audioguides are free. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\nA culinary tip for Erfurt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Goldhelm (Golden Helmet)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nGuesthouse Feuerkugel (Fireball)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAddress:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
99085 Erfurt<\/p>\n\n\n\nEnjoying beer \u2013 Beer manufactory Heimat Hafen Erfurt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAddress:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
99085 Erfurt<\/p>\n\n\n\nBrewery factory shop:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\nSaturday: 09.00 \u2013 12.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAccommodation recommendation for Erfurt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n