Art and Culture

: Cathedral and Severi Church

Meister Eckhart, one of the most influential mystics of all time, lived and worked in the city. Martin Luther spent his formative years at the University of Erfurt and the Augustinian Monastery. In the late 18th century, this is where Friedrich Schiller watched performances of his play, Don Carlos. Names such as Adam Ries, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Johann Gottfried Herder, Christoph Martin Wieland and Wilhelm von Humboldt are tightly interwoven with the history of Erfurt.

No wonder that Erfurt's arts scene still has a lot to offer. Just consider the over 1,250-year-old city. It invites visitors to experience the ambience of the Middle Ages. Narrow, winding alleyways, the towering Cathedral Mount, plazas lined by imposing buildings and the romantic Merchant's Bridge - the oldest bridge lined with houses in Central Europe.

The huge array of museums, galleries and exhibitions will warm the heart of any art lover. Fans of theater, cabaret, and vaudeville will get their money's worth in the state capital: Erfurt is home to the first new theater built in the 21st century in Germany. In summer, audiences thrill to the At The Cathedral Steps Festival, held against a dramatic backdrop. Not to mention international festivals such as Synergura, a puppeteering festival, Danetzare, a folkloric dance festival, the New Orleans Jazz Festival, or the International Organ Competition. The Waidspeicher Theater with its puppet shows and cabaret, the Die Schotte Children's Theater, the Underground Jazz Bar, minor arts troupes, music groups, and all genres of visual artists prove one thing: Erfurt's arts scene has something for and from every muse. Finally, consider the 1999 European Capital of Culture, Weimar - less than half an hour's drive from Erfurt.