Erfurt- Ein Ausflug

This weekend was Peter's big 2-1! Of course, that means diddly-squat over here. But that didn't stop us from celebrating or from treating it like a special Birthday. "To drinking beer with my parents (in the U.S.)" seemed to be the toast of the weekend.

To celebrate and to do something (affordable) just the two of us, we took a day trip to the nearby city of Erfurt. Erfurt is an old East German city, about an hour north of our home. It has a long history and is well-know as place of historical interest and great beauty. It was established and first documented in the 700s and grew so large that the old-city had to be expanded and now contains two walls. Martin Luther once called the city home and it contains the oldest synagogue in Europe!

Die Stadt hat uns sehr gut gefallen! We sure did enjoy it. It is full of history and quite exquisite. The focus of the city are the two massive cathedrals towering side-by-side on the top of a hill, looming over the city (this effect is especially ominous--or mystical, depending on your beliefs--at night when the fog rolls in). The city is set up in a more Southern European style than most German cities, with many small squares dotted throughout. Although the DDR removed many of the cities historical buildings while it was still intact, much of the medieval architecture remains. Almost every other house Peter and I saw looked like it had been blown around a little too much in the wind and leaned like the Tower of Pizza. In addition, the city boasts an amazingly charming river, lined with cafes, restaurants and homes.

Peter and I made many plans to take all future visitors there, so if the prospect of seeing us isn't enough to get you over here, maybe a visit to Erfurt is. We had a lovely, romantic time and think that the city must be even better in the summer when we aren't freezing our asses off (it was -7 C when we went). Additionally, there is a town not too far from Erfurt, Weimar, that is supposed to be even more beautiful that we need to check out. But, if you are in Bayern and looking for an excellent day trip, Erfurt is it!