For a long time nobody in Erfurt knew that they were living above one of the oldest synagogues in Europe. The Old Synagogue stands in the narrow streets of the medieval centre, and its oldest walls date from the late eleventh century, with later enlargements in the Gothic style. After the pogrom of 1349, when the Jewish community was destroyed, the building passed into other hands and was used as a warehouse, a restaurant and a ballroom. Its original function was largely forgotten, until a restoration in the 1990s revealed the medieval walls under the later alterations.
The building is now a museum, and in it you can see the Erfurt Treasure, a hoard of silver, coins and jewellery that was hidden in a cellar wall in 1349, probably by a Jewish merchant who never came back. It was found in 1998 during building works at a nearby house, and it includes a magnificent gold wedding ring in the form of a tiny Gothic building. The collection is a rare and moving record of medieval Jewish life in a trading town.
The synagogue, along with the Stone House and the ritual bath, was added to the World Heritage list in 2023. Erfurt was a centre of trade at the crossing of two great roads, and the Jewish community was a vital part of it, with scholars, bankers and merchants. The city today is the capital of Thuringia, a lively university town with an old cathedral on a hill, a bridge lined with shops and a good deal of green space.
Riding to Erfurt is simple. The roads from the Thuringian Forest or the Harz run through rolling hills and farmland, with good surface and gentle bends, and the city has a ring road that makes it easy to get close to the centre. The old town is mostly pedestrian, so park the bike outside and walk. With over two hundred thousand people, Erfurt offers all the fuel, food and accommodation you could want, and the local sausage grilled over charcoal and served in a roll is a good lunch.
The ride pairs the synagogue with Naumburg Cathedral, a short trip east along the old trade road. Go early, when the museum is quiet, and take your time with the treasure.