Erfurt is the capital of the German state of Thüringen (Thuringia), part of the old GDR (or DDR in German).
Despite being part of the old East Germany, Thuringia is actually quite central – it is closer to the centre than you might think and easily reached from major German cities including Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. Even many Germans think it is further East than it actually is!
I stayed in Erfurt for a night a couple of years ago, as part of a road trip which took me from Schleswig-Holstein (the “neck” of Germany between Hamburg and the Danish border) to Erfurt via a War Museum in Sachsen-Anhalt, and then on to Cochem in the Rheinland.
I stayed right in the centre in a hotel & restaurant owned by Greeks – so naturally I ate Greek style while I was in Erfurt.
I reccomend a trip in to the Thüringer Wald (The Thuringian Forest) – located in the Southern part of the state near the Bavarian border it is easily reached by car from Erfurt.
