Merchants' Bridge Erfurt: History, Houses and Visitor Tips

6 hours ago

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Written by Holger Kämmer

Walking across the Krämerbrücke, or Merchants' Bridge, in Erfurt for the first time, many people don't even notice they are on a bridge. Half-timbered houses, small shops and workshops line both sides, while the river Gera flows unseen below. The Krämerbrücke is the longest bridge in Europe that is continuously built up with houses and still inhabited, and it is the city's best-known landmark.

For us, it's even more than that: Sightbox started with the Krämerbrücke. It was our very first miniature kit in a matchbox, and our shop is just a few minutes' walk away.

The Merchants' Bridge at a glance

Location: Erfurt old town, between Benediktsplatz and Wenigemarkt
Length: around 120 metres
Houses: 32, originally there were 62 narrow houses
First mentioned: 1117, still as a wooden bridge
Stone bridge since: 1325
What makes it special: Europe's longest continuously built-up and inhabited bridge

History: from wooden bridge to merchants' lane

In the Middle Ages, Erfurt lay on the Via Regia, one of Europe's most important trade routes. Where the road crossed the Gera, a wooden bridge stood early on. It is first mentioned in 1117 and burned down several times, so in 1325 the city rebuilt it in stone.

Merchants settled on the bridge, the Krämer, selling spices, silk, paper and woad, the dye plant grown around Erfurt. Their stalls gradually became houses. After a great city fire in 1472, the half-timbered houses were built that still shape the bridge today.

A bridgehead church stood at each end. St Giles' Church (Ägidienkirche) at Wenigemarkt survives, while St Benedict's Church on the other side was demolished at the end of the 19th century.

The houses: living above the river

Over the centuries, the original 62 narrow houses were merged into 32. People still live on the upper floors, while the ground floors hold shops, galleries and workshops. You'll find crafts, ceramics, jewellery, Thuringian specialities and small cafés.

From the street, you can hardly tell it's a bridge. Only from the banks of the Gera do the stone arches that carry the houses come into view.

Tips for your visit

St Giles' Church: The tower at the eastern end of the bridge can be climbed. From the top, you look straight down onto the roofs of the bridge houses.
The view from below: Walk along the Gera beneath the bridge. Only here can you see the arches carrying the houses.
Come early or late: The bridge is busy during the day. Early in the morning or in the evening, it feels quieter, almost like a village.
Krämerbrückenfest: Every June, Erfurt celebrates one of Thuringia's largest old-town festivals around the bridge, with a market, music and medieval programme.
Keep exploring: Fischmarkt with the town hall, the Old Synagogue and Cathedral Square with the Petersberg are only a few minutes away.

Take the bridge home

When we started making landmarks as wooden kits, the Krämerbrücke was top of the list. Today it comes in three sizes, each with 32 wooden pieces and building instructions:

Merchants' Bridge 10 cm in a matchbox, scale 1:1,275. The classic souvenir for your pocket.
Merchants' Bridge 15 cm in a firewood box, scale 1:765, with more detail.
Merchants' Bridge 94 cm in a wooden box with a sliding lid, scale 1:130. For collectors, offices and shop windows.

All are made in Germany from local wood. More designs from Erfurt and other cities: Landmarks as wooden kits. And if you're in Erfurt, you can see all the kits in person at our shop at Fischmarkt 21.