View of the red rooftops of the Erfurt Old Town and the Kaufmannskirche church

Studying in Erfurt

Erfurt offers you 16 degree programmes in English at 4 higher education institutions.

Featuring a unique old town along with an astonishing cathedral square, Erfurt can take you back in time while also giving you a modern feel. Students will enjoy the cafes and restaurants next to the centuries-old Merchants’ Bridge or a picnic on the Petersberg Citadel. The capital of Thuringia’s central location lets you travel effortlessly to any corner of Germany.

Erfurt offers you an old-town flair with lively opportunities. The city has a thousand-year history that is still very visible. Lucky enough to avoid mass damage from World War II, Erfurt’s old-town centre is filled with historical landmarks and half-timbered houses. The Domplatz showcases a large square with the towering St Mary’s Cathedral and St Severi Church. Due to its size, many of the city’s festivals take place at the Domplatz. In the spring you have the Spring festival, in the fall you have an Oktoberfest celebration, and in winter the most famous event of all takes place, the Erfurt Christmas Market. A quintessential Christmas feeling engulfs the city during this time as many smaller Christmas markets are set up throughout different locations.

If you want to plan a picnic, the Petersberg Citadel, a preserved baroque fortress, offers many green areas to take in some nice views of the city or you can head to the “small Venice” and sit on the grass along a narrow portion of the Gera River. While Erfurt might not be the biggest city, its historical charm and dynamism will draw you in.

Life in Erfurt

215,000 residents

High-speed train connections
In close vicinity
International airport
Leipzig/Halle airport in 97 km distance
Coast
Baltic Sea in 335 km distance
Mountain range
Thuringian Forest in 50 km distance
Other countries
Czech Republic in 180 km distance
Attractions within 100 km
- Barbarossa Cave in 44 km distance
- Hainich National Park in 43 km distance

Study in Erfurt

4 higher education institutions in Erfurt

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Subject groups of degree programmes in Erfurt

There is a wide range of degree programmes in Erfurt. Here you can see the main subject groups. Currently, degree programmes in Erfurt are mainly offered in the subject group Economic Sciences, Law, followed by Teaching Degrees and Humanities and Social Sciences. Find out more information here about the subject groups and degree programmes offered in Germany.

10
Agricultural and Forest Sciences
63
Humanities and Social Sciences
21
Mathematics, Natural Sciences
13
Art, Music, Design
22
Language and Cultural Studies
24
Medicine, Health Sciences
92
Economic Sciences, Law
46
Engineering Sciences
67
Teaching Degrees

Young people on the Gera River Bank in the Erfurt Old Town

Summer fun next to scenic half-timbered houses

The Krämerbrücke is an inhabited bridge that is the longest of its type in all of Europe.

Compared to other cities, Erfurt doesn’t have a large student population, but that has its advantages as it is not as difficult to find housing. All areas are also reachable by bicycle or public transportation.

Even though you are studying quite literally in the centre of Germany and the ICE trains can take you quickly to different corners of Germany, you don’t have to go far as the state of Thuringia has a lot to offer as well. With your student ticket, you can travel anywhere in the state. Visit the smaller but impactful cities of Weimar and Jena to see the homes of German cultural figures Goethe and Schiller or see where Napoleon conducted one of his battles. The hikes in the region are also picturesque as you can travel by train to the Thuringia Forest, where many winter sports events are held every year.

When you get back to Erfurt you can go out with your friends to one of the many restaurants that offer a wide range of cuisines. If you’re looking for a quick snack instead, grab a famous Thuringia Bratwurst. After that, you have your choice of pubs or clubs to end the night. Or find out if a concert is happening at the Domplatz or the Theatre Erfurt. You might even find one on a street corner!

One of the city’s most prominent landmarks is the Krämerbrücke, or Merchant’s bridge, whose half-timbered buildings not only contain shops but homes as well. Every year a festival takes place in honor of the bridge. Just a short walk away is one of the very few preserved medieval synagogues in Europe, where you can admire the Erfurt treasure which consists of gold smithery from the 13th and 14th centuries. Also, a mikveh, or Jewish bath from that time period is also on display nearby.

If you want some greenery or to smell the roses, egapark, a horticultural monument from the 1960s, displays a wide variety of ornamental flowers and other beautiful gardens. Erfurt has also recently undergone botanical renovations as it hosted the Federal Garden Show in 2021 and many of the projects are permanent.

You can find more information at study-in-germany.de

For more information on living and studying in Erfurt, visit the city portraits at study-in-germany.de

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