Erlangen

One third of the roughly 100 000 residents are involved with the university (students, researchers, etc.), and another third work for Siemens.
Medicine is one of the specialties of the university, so you are in luck if you fall ill with more than six clinics in the city.

Tourist information

The

Erlangen tourist info

You can also get VGN tickets and advice on local public transit in the same office.

History

Early history, the Margraves and the Huguenots

While Erlangen can trace its history back to a first mention (as "Villa Erlangon") over a thousand years ago, it was soon overshadowed by its neighbor, Nuremberg, which is 50-odd years younger. The biggest lasting influence upon Erlangen was its former rulers, the Margraves from the Ansbach-Bayreuth branch line of the Hohenzollern (the leaders of Prussia and later all of Germany) dynasty. They ruled the city for most of the early modern period, but preferred to reside in Bayreuth and Ansbach respectively most of the time. When the French Protestants were expelled by Louis XIV, the Margrave, much like his distant relatives in Brandenburg, decided to invite them to come to Erlangen. The old houses, the one-way streets of the "Huguenot-town" (which are almost unnavigable unless you ride a bike like most locals do), and a centrally located rather impressive reformed church (right next to Hugenottenplatz) still bear witness to this era. With the Huguenots a certain wealth entered town and Erlangen has been a center for various industries, trades and research ever since. This was aided when the Margraves decided to open a new university in Erlangen, which later got two faculties in Nuremberg. A common joke (probably made up by a student of theology from Erlangen) claims that Erlangen is the only German place mentioned in the Bible with the (real sounding but fake) quote "Suchet das Himmelreich zu erlangen". This can be translated either as "seek to reach heaven" or "Search for heaven in Erlangen". However, no such quote is to be found in any common German version of the Bible.

Industrialization and World War II

When Erlangen became part of Bavaria in the first years of the 19th century, all universities in Franconia were to be shut down in favor of the universities of "Old-Bavaria". But someone pointed out that Erlangen had a unique selling point no other university in the new kingdom had: an evangelical theological faculty. As the new king wanted protestant ministers to be educated somewhere, he decided to shut down the university in Altdorf (near Nuremberg), and retain the university of Erlangen. This proved a good decision for the city and with the industrialization, Erlangen became an important center of cotton processing plants. ErBa (Erlangen-Bamberg) and Baumwollspinnerei (Cotton factory) are names from this period and still found in some place names in Erlangen. While Erlangen was not unaffected by the Nazis and the Second World War, it was much less bombed than Nuremberg or Munich and in the waning days of the war. The mayor (who had been member of the Nazi party since 1933) and a high ranking general called Walter Lorleberg somehow managed to surrender the town to the American army despite orders to the contrary. While the details are not known, Lorleberg died in the waning hours of the war, presumably killed by fanatic Nazis or through suicide. A square in Erlangen is still named after him, which is controversial because he was a high ranking Nazi general.

Post war

After the war Siemens decided to move out of Berlin, which had been almost entirely destroyed. To avoid the Soviets, they decided to build two headquarters in the American Zone, one of which would become Erlangen (the other is in Munich). This decision continues to benefit the city. Siemens' policies and decisions are followed almost as intensely as mayoral politics in Erlangen. Erlangen grew rapidly from just under 30,000 inhabitants in 1925. Between people moving in and the incorporation of suburbs such as Dechsendorf, by 1975 the city had reached 100,000 people. Thus attaining "Großstadt" status, which it still holds at population figures below 110 000 but above 100 000. Erlangen had been the site of a garrison of the Bavarian Army since the mid 19th century and became a garrison of the German Army after World War I. After the defeat of the Nazis in 1945, the garrison was taken over by the US Army and expanded. However, in the course of post-cold war downsizing of the troop presence, the garrison was closed in the early 1990s and has been turned into direly needed housing as well as nature reserve. It is sometimes cited as an example of the "peace dividend" that many hoped would result after the cold war as military installations were turned over to civilian uses. Erlangen's mayor from 1972-1996, Dietmar Hahlweg, decided against building more and bigger streets or relying solely on public transport. Instead he encouraged cycling as a means of getting around investing in infrastructure and riding a bike to work himself to set an example. Today many residents (even those working for Siemens and the mayor) get to work on their bikes every day, and the cars clogging the streets often have number-plates of the surrounding villages and suburbs. Erlangen thrives economically today, but is still dependent upon its university and Siemens. If either coughs, the city gets pneumonia.

By plane

The next airport is in Nuremberg (NUE) with domestic and limited international connections. The U-Bahn (subway) takes you to the Nuremberg main station in roughly 13 minutes, from where you can take a wide variety of inter-city (ICE and IC), regional (RE and RB) and commuter-trains (the S-Bahn) to Erlangen. The subway and regional trains are fully integrated within the VGN tariff union. There is also a direct bus (line 30) from the airport to downtown Erlangen every 20 minutes on weekdays (40 minutes on weekends). This option takes a bit under half an hour.
If you are flying in from Frankfurt airport (FRA), there are connections with one change (in Nuremberg) from the train station integrated into the airport. Erlangen can be reached somewhat more quickly from Munich Airport (MUC), although it is one more stop away on the train. For more on combined train and flight tickets see this article.

By train

Trains run regularly from Nuremberg and take about 20 min. Bamberg is about 30 min away in the other direction. Most ICE trains between Munich and Berlin stop in Erlangen. Since the December 2017 schedule change, trains take a bit under three hours from Berlin on their fastest runs. The Nuremberg S-Bahn network includes four stops in Erlangen (all of them ), two of them in annexed suburbs (, Hauptbahnhof, and ) VGN rates apply for all local trains trams and buses as far as Bayreuth, but not on IC or ICE, even if you're only going from Erlangen to Nuremberg. If you plan on a round trip to Bayreuth, for example, look for a day ticket as they can be cheaper than two single trips.

By bus

Privately run Intercity buses stop close to the main train station at Busbahnhof (Central Bus Station), which is also a stop or the terminus for some public buses. To get to the city center you have to cross the railroad tracks by going through the train station. From Nuremberg the public run bus number 30 (VGN rates apply) connects the last tram stop ("am Wegfeld") with the city center of Erlangen before continuing towards the airport. Bus lines 20 and 290 also go to "am Wegfeld" but they takes a more circuitous route and terminate there instead of going on to the airport.
Plans to build a light rail line (locally known as Stadt-Umland-Bahn or StUB) to Nuremberg (replacing at least part of bus line 30) and to Herzogenaurach are under way but construction probably won't start before the mid 2020s. Other surrounding minor towns and suburbs, including Herzogenaurach (lines 199, 200 and 201) are also connected to Erlangen by public buses. Around 2017, Erlangen, cities, towns and suburbs around it and the Landkreis (roughly County) of Erlangen-Höchstadt decided to improve bus service leading to more frequent departures into surrounding areas, sometimes dramatically so on erstwhile "low traffic" times like weekends. Under the new schedule, few routes have less-than-hourly departures, even during the weekends, making public transit a much more reasonable option even for exploring the suburbs.

By car

Two Autobahns pass through Erlangen. A3 serves as the municipal boundary with Herzogenaurach at the western edge of town before turning east through Frauenaurach and exiting the city limits towards the southeast. A 73 also called "Frankenschnellweg" - its frequent congestion notwithstanding - passes just west of downtown and follows a mostly straight north-south alignment.

While the old town walls are only preserved in very few stones and street names like (cardinal direction) Stadtmauerstraße, the rectangular area once inside the walls is still evident as the main pedestrianized and shopping area with driving inside it much more difficult than outside it. Four physical boundaries run roughly North-South and separate the city into eastern and western parts. Those are (roughly from west to east) the Main Donau Kanal, the Regnitz river with its extensive floodplains, the A73 (partially using the bed of the former Ludwig Donau Main Kanal through Erlangen) and the railway line. As there are only two crossings across the Regnitz anywhere near downtown that are open to cars, it is often easier to go by bike from one side of those four barriers to the other.

By public transport

Local public transport consists primarily of buses, and to lesser extent the S-Bahn (with only four stops in the city area). Erlangen is part of the VGN (Verkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg, association of public transportation of the Nuremberg metropolitan area). The VGN website allows for automated route planning and provides fare and network information. The local bus operator ESTW (Erlanger Stadtwerke) operates an information/ticket store which shares the office with the tourist information (for the location, see Understand section above).
Inside Erlangen price level "C" applies which means €2.30 for a single trip for an adult (child €1.20), €8.10 for a four-trip ticket (not sold by drivers, only through machines and at the tourist information) and €4.70 for a Tagesticket solo (€7.60 for a Tagesticket plus) (April 2018). A Tagesticket plus is valid for up to two adults and a combination of up to four kids (under 15) dogs or bikes (e.g. two adults, a dog a kid and two bikes).
During the day buses are reasonably comfortable and frequent albeit usually slower than going by bike, but at night they only run on nights from Friday to Saturday, Saturday to Sunday or any night followed by a public holiday. Night buses also follow different routes from regular buses indicated on the schedules with a line number with a leading N. Night buses (or no buses) run from 01:00 to 05:00 with the last and first regular bus running some time in the hour before and after that time-frame respectively.
While most of the buses run by Erlangen-Höchstadt County, Fürth or Nuremberg have onboard WiFi, buses run by the city of Erlangen did historically not. Rollout of WiFi for city run buses is to begin early 2019. On the other hand, only buses run by the city of Erlangen show up on the real time arrival screens at Hauptbahnhof and Arcaden; the VGN app however should have real time data for all buses, regardless of who runs them.

By taxi

There are a lot of taxi companies available throughout the city that are available 24/7. At night you won't have a problem finding a taxi near Hugenottenplatz or one of the partying hotspots.

By bicycle

Cycling is the best way to get around and most locals bike to work and leisure activities. This is true for all ages, genders and income groups and a middle-aged man in a suit on a bike is no rare sight - in fact, you may even see a former or current mayor on his bike. You can rent one at various local bicycle shops or at the main train station. A large part of Erlangen was built with the Huguenot refugees from France in mind but before the advent of the car. Therefore a number of streets are too narrow for two cars to pass side by side. Almost all of these one-way streets can be entered by bike both ways. Thus cycling makes for the shortest trip lengths by distance. In downtown, the pedestrian zone is only open to cyclists on its entire length from evening to early morning with (somewhat confusing) signs advising which parts are pedestrian only during which times. The rule is frequently skirted and even the hyper-correct state police of Bavaria don't always enforce it. Many locals just go a bit slower when and where cycling is technically disallowed.
If your lodgings aren't in central Erlangen or if you want to explore beyond the city walls, the Wiesengrund is another barrier to east-west movement that is vastly easier to cross by bike than by car. Besides the shorter trip distances, it is also pleasant in almost any weather to see relatively intact nature a few hundred meters from the edge of downtown.

On foot

In the heart of the city, everything is in a walking distance and there are a lot of pedestrian-only areas. Watch out for cyclists, especially around the university's main campus, as they often drive very fast and assume people will get out the way rather than the other way round. As in most of Germany, red bricks or white lines indicate cycle routes, so try and walk on the pedestrian side to make life easier for everyone.

By car

If you need to cross a cycle lane with your car, be prepared to reverse if a bicycle approaches. When you turn, give way to cyclists.
If you drive, avoid downtown. There are several streets that are partially or entirely closed for cars and a lot of streets you can only drive one way (Einbahnstraße in German a white arrow on blue ground with that word written on is the symbol for that a white bar on red ground means: wrong direction). On streets that are one-way for cars, cyclists may often use them in both ways. The best choice is to park outside downtown (e.g. the centrally located Großparkplatz (big parking lot) next to the main train station) and walk. If you stay for more than a couple of days, don't rent a car, rent a bike and do as the locals and bike everywhere.

Erlangen is a surprisingly eclectic mixture of old and new. It doesn't always coexist in harmony and sometimes clashes rather glaringly. However it often combines to create a unique blend. The area built for the Huguenots and the building activity of the Margraves who resided here are perhaps the best known landmarks of Erlangen. But outside a rather small area of the historic core, the city grew too rapidly in the 20th century for aesthetic concerns to always be taken into consideration. That said, the city has taken considerable efforts to commission murals and "legal graffiti" on surfaces such as underpasses that would otherwise be dreary naked concrete.
In terms of nature, the serendipitously preserved meadows of the Regnitz (local parlance "Wiesengrund") are perhaps the most striking feature. They are passionately, sometimes jealously or over-zealously guarded against any potential destruction by the citizenry that uses the area for their daily bike commute, to relax, sunbathe, do sports and numerous other activities every day.

Streets and squares

The city center is worth seeing, as most of its buildings have been preserved. As an example, the “new town” (Neustadt) was built as a planned community for the Huguenots who came as religious refugees from France. It spans from the and the square . The architecture has been significantly influenced by that fact. Its streets lie straight in a grid and the houses display façades in a continuous style. The market and palace square (Marktplatz/Schlossplatz) with the and the together with the Huguenot square (Hugenottenplatz) form the center of this baroque part of the city. The Pauli fountain was designed in new renaissance style and has been donated to the city by the merchant couple Pauli.
The historic old town is north of the new town; however, it burned down in 1706 and was rebuilt from scratch. The current buildings are nevertheless worth seeing, even though they are younger than the houses of the new town, and have been based on their style. When visiting, take a walk around the streets (especially the ones around Schiffstraße, Altstädter Kirchplatz and Theaterplatz).
Outside of the city center, you will find further areas with historic buildings, for example built between the two world wars. These are mostly east and southeast of the center (you can use Schillerstraße and Österreicher Straße as orientation points to find the areas). Further interesting old architecture can be found on the university's Röthelheim campus (between Artielleriestraße and Allee am Röthelheimpark).

Palaces and other notable buildings

• Palais Stutterheim

  address: Marktplatz 1
  Built 1728 through 1730 for Amtshauptmann Christian Hieronymus von Stutterheim based on sketches by Wenzel Perner. Used as town hall between 1836 and 1971. Today, it hosts the museum Kunstpalais and the city's public library, which offers a magnificient public place to read magazines and newspapers.

• Margrave Palace (Markgräfliche Schloss)

  address: Schlossplatz
  Built 1700–1704, now hosts the university's administration.

• Orangerie ErlangenIn the Schlossgarten park.

• Historic water tower on Apfelstraße

  address: Apfelstraße 12
  Built to supply the fountains within Schlossgarten and Orangerie.

• Historic water tower on the Burgberg hill

  address: Burgbergstraße 90
  The water tower on the Burgberg hill was built to store the city's drinking water supply and can be seen from many locations within the city. It was built in 1904/05 and is still in use.

• Bierkeller (beer cellars) at Entlas Keller

  phone: +49 9131 22100
  address: An den Kellern 5-7
  At Entlas Keller (the duck's cellar), you can visit the extensive underground paths and former beer storage areas. Before artificial cooling was invented, people dug cellars into the hills and brought ice in there to cool the beer throughout the year; at this place you can visit Erlangen's extensive underground.

Churches

• Hugenot church

  address: Bahnhofplatz 3
  This Reformed Church is the oldest building of the new town.

• Altstädter Dreifaltigkeitskirche

  address: Martin-Luther-Platz 1
  A Lutheran church.

• St. Martinskirche

  address: Altstädter Friedhof 1

• University Church of the New Town

  address: Neustädter Kirchplatz 1
  A Lutheran church.

• German reformed church Bohlenplatz

  address: Bohlenplatz 1
  This is not a church any more, it is now a parish house. Reformed Christians from Palatine and Switzerland created the parish and sanctified their own church in 1734. In 1922, the French Reformed and the German Reformed churches merged.

• Herz-Jesu-KircheThe first Catholic church to be built after the Reformation in Erlangen, this is a surprisingly austere affair. After much prodding by the growing Catholic community (the religious toleration extended to Huguenots was also granted to Catholics) they finally got a Bethaus in 1790 under rather strict limitations (no organ, no spire, a site on the outskirts of the old town) put in place on the urging of local Lutheran and Calvinist citizens. The congregation grew with emigrants from the French Revolution and upon the Bavarian takeover, Catholicism was now much more favored by the Catholic overlords in Munich so extensive redesigns and the wholesale replacement of the original building with a church in 1849/50 were done to keep pace with the growing congregation. Today only a 1830 baptismal font is one of few things that remains after extensive redesign and expansion.

Museums

• Kunstpalais

  phone: +49 9131 86-2735
  address: Palais Sutterheim, Marktplatz 1
  A small but good museum of modern art with changing exhibitions, run by the city. Shares the former city hall and beautiful building in its own right Palais Sutterheim with the municipal library.

• Kunstmuseum Erlangen

  phone: +49 9131 2041555
  address: Loewenichsches Palais, Nürnberger Straße 9
  A small museum with often astonishing exhibitions of modern regional art.

• Kunstverein Erlangen

  phone: +49 9131 26867
  address: Hauptstraße 72
  Gallery of the local art association mostly showcasing exhibitions of local art.

• Stadtmuseum Erlangen

  phone: +49 9131 86 2300
  address: Martin-Luther-Platz 9
  Historic museum of the city that also has changing exhibitions on various topics. The building dates to the 18th century and used to house the city hall for Altstadt - old town and new Hugenot town being separate for a long time.

• Siemens Med Museum

  phone: +49 9131 736 000
  address: Gebbertstraße 1
  A museum about the evolution of medical technology associated with Siemens. "Siemens Med" used to be the name of what are now the "Healthineers" - an oft derided name that is virtually unpronouncable to many Franconian native speakers.

• Galerie im Treppenhaus

  phone: +49 177 7299 665
  address: Henkestraße 90
  A commercial art gallery that regularly displays photo exhibitions.

Somewhat out of the city:

• Bubenreutheum (string instrument maker and music history museum)

  phone: +49 9131 23 121 and +49 9131 908 61 58
  address: Birkenallee 51, 91088 Bubenreuth
  You probably would not expect to find much in Bubenreuth, a rather small town just north of Erlangen's Burgberg. However, this Franconian town is home to great music and instrument makers. This museum is located in the town hall and has been initiated by a local association. It shows the local string instrument maker history (which most significantly relates to makers of violins), which is rich in the 20th century, after World War II. While not part of Erlangen, it's no farther than the south of the city.

Parks

Erlangen has a lot of parks and garden which enable you to relax in the green:

• The

  SchlossgartenEspecially popular amongst students and other young folks on nice weather and is used for sunbathing and playing; it also offers a lot of benches.

• Just next to it, the

  Botanical GardenA nice place for a walk especially in rainy weather or winter. Visit the greenhouses. The garden offers an artificial stalactite cave, called Neischl-Grotte (which however is not always open).

• The

  aromatic garden

  address: Palmsanlage
  Near the clinic and the university buildings next to the auditorium maximum and is part of the university's research collection Herbarium Erlangense. Take a walk around the intertwined paths and offers a variety of well-known and less well-known aromatic and spice plants as well as a marsh area.
• Some hundred meters north of the old town, you will find the

  Burgberg garden, including the Heinrich Kirchner sculpture parkBetween villas, it spans about 30,000 m² and has many old trees. At its upper end, it contains a viewpoint and the best view over the city. A further highlight are the bronze sculputres by Erlangen artist Heinrich Kirchner.

• The

  SchwabachanlageA park around the tiny river Schwabach which begins at the northern end of the old town and spans across Palmsanlage up to the borough of “Sieglitzhof”. It contains open playing grounds (including a water playground for children, located next to the footbridge Steg an der Bleiche near the neurological clinic of the university hospital, to get there take either of the paths next to the house Schwabachanlage 1a) and sports areas and is popular amongst walkers, joggers and bikers.

• Green squares in the city such as Ohmplatz south of the center and the Bohlenplatz in the eastern part of the new town. You may furthermore relax on the sunny Altstädter Kirchplatz or within the shadow at Neustädter Kirchplatz, potentially seeing some boule players.

• Sculpture park "An der Wied" (Tennenlohe)

  address: An der Wied
  A presentation of a large variety of modern sculptures throughout the former village of Tennenlohe (which has been annexed to Erlangen). The best way to experience this is to take the circular route displayed on the map, starting at Tennenlohe's little lake (which is next to the bus stop, at the intersection of An der Wied and Sebastianstraße).

Nature

Within its city limits, Erlangen offers two nature reserves, (slightly east of the center) and
(south of the center, east of the district Bruck).
In the southern part of Erlangen, in the woods north of and east of the district of Tennenlohe, you will find the

Walderlebniszentrum Tennenlohe (forest experience center)

It offers a presentation and workshop targeted at children to adults to give them a lively feeling about the woods, their backgrounds and importance; during the summer weekends, it also features a café. Furthermore, you can look for the

Urwildpferde (primary wild horses)

A fenced area within the nature reserve of the Tennenlohe forest (you can go around the area and cross a bridge at about the middle of the area); this gives you a nice walk in a foresty area even without the horses. If you want to extend your walk some more, you can start in eastern Tennenlohe next to the firefire station and start your walk with the

Tennenlohe sculture axis

Sculptures by local artists are presented in the wood by an association which also provides a map with positions of all sculptures.
The

WiesengrundThe flooding area of the river Regnitz invites for a slow walk and is located west of the city center, between the latter and the district of Alterlangen.

In many parts, it still shows the old watering canals that were used for agriculture; citizen initiatives even restored some of the old scoop wheels, such as the

Brucker Wasserrad

.

• Dechsendorfer WeiherThe "Dechsi" as it is frequently called has in the past had problems with algal blooms and was famously immortalized in an absurdist song by local band J.B.O. purporting the existence of a Great White Shark in said body of water. It is frequently the site of events like "Rock am See" or "Klassik am See". Even when swimming is not possible, you can rent boats of various kinds or simply jogg around the lake.

In any case, for experiencing Erlangen, you should take a stroll through the small but cosy Altstadt (roughly said the area delimited by Hauptstraße, Schlossgarten and Theaterplatz) and Neustadt (the area south of Slossgarten) and the pedestrian zone (northern part of Nürnberger Straße and side streets). If you want to relax with a newspaper, take a time and read within the nice reading area of the at Marktplatz 1. On warm summer evenings, you could join the students by picknicking or having a beer at Bohlenplatz. For a city of this size, cultural offerings and events are plentyful and of good quality and you should just check what's on when you are here and what suits your interests.

Events

The Stadtverband der Erlanger Kulturvereine maintains a list of events. You will find a lot of current information in the magazines hugo! and curt.

In spring

• Bergkirchweih

  address: An den Kellern
  Begun in 1755, this festival is held every Pentecost (Whitsuntide - seven weeks after Easter) for 12 days every year. The first day is always the Thursday before the Pentecost weekend. Similar to Oktoberfest, but more German owing to the absence of tourists. The festival draws crowds around the 1 million mark, so hotels might get crowded and overpriced during this time of the year. At 23:00 the main action stops and the party crowd goes on to the various discos and bars that keep going until 05:00.

• International Comic Salon ErlangenHeld every two years in even years (i.e. in years when the Long Night of Sciences is not held) on the weekend of the Feast of Corpus Christi. The paradise of comics fans. It is one of the largest in the German language area and artists of some renown in Germany come to sign comics or read from their work. There are also a few works in other languages than German available and the Comic Salon also draws artists from abroad. The smaller artists who have yet to make their name may be of particular interest as they have time to talk with prospective buyers about their work. Many artists also offer to draw upon request or sell original artwork or prints. Cosplaying visitors (or even exhibitors) are also a common sight.

• International Jazz Workshop ErlangenHeld yearly around end of March/beginning of April.

• International Figure Theater FestivalHeld every year (usually second half of May).

• International Film Festival for Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction and Obscure Films: Held every May in the Manhattan cinema.

In summer

• Poetry FestivalHeld every year (late August).

• Summer Nights Film FestivalOpen air cinema, yearly in August.

• Arena Festival

• Jazzband-Ball

• Classical music by the lakeHeld every summer. At Dechsendorfer Weiher (see under #Nature).

• Tag des offenen DenkmalsUsually held in late summer, this day offers the possibility to see many historic monuments, even some which are usually not open; which sites takes place changes (see link), Erlangen usually takes part in the nationwide happening with a lot of offerings.

In autumn

• Stummfilm-MusiktageSilent film festival with live music.

• Lange Nacht der WissenschaftenA bi-yearly big happening regarding the sciences, usually held on one night in the second half of October in years with an odd number. The Long Night of Sciences is thus usually held in years that the Comic Salon is not held. While events are spread throughout Nuremberg, Erlangen and Fürth, there are special shuttle buses included in the ticket price to get you to all places. It is highly recommended to make a plan which events to attend as there are by far more interesting things to see, do, hear or try out than can be done in a single night. Having a backup plan handy in case something disappoints or isn't possible for one reason or another is also handy. Both the website and printed guides give and extensive rundown on what is available.

In winter

Erlangen has three centrally located Christmas Market, which are all atmospherically nice.

• Erlanger Waldweihnacht

  address: Schlossplatz
  During the opening there is also an open air ice rink on the other half of the square (Marktplatz).

• Historical Christmas Market

  address: Neustädter Kirchplatz

• Weihnachtsmarkt Altstädter Kirchplatz

  address: Altstädter Kirchenplatz
  .

• Sound of ErlangenRegional newcomer music festival.

Concerts and theaters

• Gemeinnütziger Theater- und Konzertverein Erlangen e.V. (gVe)Local non-profit union that organizes theater shows and classical concerts all year round.

• MarkgrafentheaterOne of the 3 stages of the Stadttheater, which is the oldest Baroque theater in Southern Germany - built in 1719. It is worth visiting, even if you don't understand German at all. Some plays and performances are held in the other locations. Given Germany's propensity to subsidize "high culture", tickets are very affordable indeed.

• Theaterverein Fifty-Fifty e.V.Cabaret, theater and music stage.

• Studiobühne Erlangen e.V.Student theater association with roughly ten productions being staged every year.

Venues

The following host a wide variety of events and are too multi-purpose to fit under any one category

• E-Werk Kulturzentrum

  address: Fuchsenwiese 1
  Cultural centre showing great concerts (from famous to hardly known), which also hosts a cinema, multiple festivals and a variety of other program, such as for example poetry slams. Basically, if it can be put under the broad umbrella of "culture" and there is a conceivable interest for such a thing in a student town, the E-Werk has it at least occasionally. They also run a "help yourself" bike repair shop five days a week which comes in handy if your bike does things that flabbergast you but you don't want to spend outrageous sums to have it fixed or want to learn how to do it yourself.

• Heinrich Lades HalleNamed after a former mayor (governed 1959-1972) upon his death in 1990, this late 1960s early 1970s building might not look like much (though its interior design is certainly more inspired than that of some other buildings of the era), but it hosts numerous large scale events from discussions about pressing issues for the city to the main events of the Comic Salon. It's also the biggest concert venue in town.

Sports

• There is an extensive network of designated bicycling routes, which are marked with white signs. For tours out of town, best consult the information provided by ADFC (German bicycling association), one of the nicer ways is cycling the Regnitz Radweg next to the river via Fürth to Nürnberg (~25 km one way; you may also take the train for the other direction but be sure to buy a ticket both for you and for your bike). Renting bikes is possible at several places in town (see Getting around section).
• There is a golf course operated by

  Golf Club Erlangen

  .
• Annual charitable football tournament "Football against cancer". Last Sunday of February in the sport hall of Friedrich-Alexander University.
• DAV Erlangen operates a climbing and bouldering hall and a climbing tower.
• HC Erlangen is the town's (Olympic) Handball club that made its way to the first division Bundesliga in 2014 and again in 2016. They used to play all home games in the Karl Heinz Hiersemann Halle in Erlangen but since 2016 have played in their temporary home in Nuremberg. Plans to build a bigger venue to accommodate the bigger crowds were ultimately shelved due to cost concerns.
• During the Cold War the city had an US garrison with all that entails and after the soldiers left, it largely fell into the hands of the city. While the living quarters were turned into housing and some of the former training grounds are now nature reserve, the Baseball diamond was given over to the Erlangen White Sox while an American Football team, the Erlangen Sharks play right next door.

• Blockhelden

  phone: +49 9135 73 59 50 9
  address: Weisendorfer Straße 18 91056 Erlangen
  A bouldering hall in Dechsendorf, a somewhat outlying suburb.

Public swimming pools

• There are two swimming pools in the city open for the public. You can find opening times and prices (in German) here. Both swimming pools are combined open air and indoor facilities. They are perfectly adequate for swimming and certainly make for a fun time on a summer day for a price that's hard to beat, but if you are more into waterparks or "fun baths" the Atlantis in Herzogenaurach or the Palm Beach in Stein bei Nürnberg might be more to your liking.

• Westbad

  address: Damaschkestraße 129 91056
  This institution has had an indoor section since 2017 when the indoor pool at Frankenhof was closed and this was built as a replacement. Parking lots for cars can get somewhat scarce on sunny days, so arrive by bike or bus if possible.

• Röthelheimbad

  address: Hartmannstraße 121 91058
  The indoor part of this pool is called "Hannah Stockbauer Halle", named after the swimming great who used to train here for her Olympic medals and other successes.

Other

• Take a stroll at one of the nice flea markets (see Buy section for best offers, come early, they usually start around 08:00).

For a city of its size, Erlangen's shopping opportunities are both varied and abundant. Probably the nicest aspect of shopping in Erlangen is that you have a mix of all the standards you may need but also a diverse scene of smaller and not-so-common shops that offer you another type of shopping experience and in many cases good personal consultation and advice if you wish. A lot of exquisite small shops have great things on offer, and are often highly specialised (e.g. arts and crafts, music).
The shops are mostly located in the areas of the Altstadt (old town) and Neustadt (new town) and around the axes of Hauptstraße/Marktplatz/Nürnberger Straße and Friedrichstraße/Obere Karlstraße; always also including the neighbouring streets around them. You can take a pleasant walk around all of these areas (which are all easily covered on foot). If you want to shop in the Altstadt area, note that there is an offer called Altstadtshopping on Thursday late afternoons: most shops are open somewhat longer (often till 20:00) and parking on the Fuchsenwiese parking space is free of charge as of 16:00.
Most shops open between 09:30 and 11:00 (most at 10:00), with smaller shops usually closing between 18:00 and 19:00 on weekdays and between 14:00 and 16:00 on Saturdays. Due to Bavaria's strict laws, no shops may open beyond 20:00 or on Sundays with the exception of those serving a travel need (e.g. shops in gas stations or train stations) or bakeries, which also open on Sundays but not after 20:00. There are some verkaufsoffene Sonntage on a semi-regular basis when most shops open on Sunday, but expect a lot of traffic on those days and crowded shops.
There is a long standing concern among business owners and politicians that the Old Town is slowly but surely losing its charm and particularly its businesses and the city is doing quite a bit to counteract this. Among other things there is a riksha that rides up and down the pedestrian zone that shoppers may use free of charge and there is a Tag der Altstadt ("Day of the Old Town") to promote the businesses and shopping opportunities in the Old Town.

Specialty shops

Antiques:

• Prahse Antik

  address: Heuwaagstraße 10
  Antique furniture.

Beer (local) and liquors:

• Kitzmann Bräukontor

  phone: +49 9131 810 811
  address: Südliche Stadtmauerstraße 25
  This store for beverages of all kinds offers (a so-called "Getränkemarkt") a huge variety of regional craft beers and regional wines, some liquors, and high quality juices.

Books:

• Literarische Buchhandlung Wierny

  phone: +49 9131 224 80
  address: Südliche Stadtmauerstraße 40
  Great fiction offers and more, however, mostly German!

• Thalia

  phone: +49 9131 78090
  address: Hugenottenplatz 6

• Ex Libris

  address: Bismarckstraße 9
  Near the main campus with Audimax this store is aimed largely at university students and has an okay selection of foreign language classics.

Clothes:
Ecological clothing:

• Contigo

  phone: +49 9131 9754083
  address: Hauptstraße 40

• Dreikönig

  address: Kammererstraße 4
  A fairtrade eco clothing shop initiated by 7 creatives.

• GreenVolution

  address: Friedrichstraße 29

Second-hand clothing:

• Vinty's Erlangen

  phone: +49 9131 4000 720
  address: Friedrichstraße 25

• GardeRobe

  address: Helmstraße 4

Comics:

• Ultra Comix

  phone: +49 9131 530 1308
  address: Südliche Stadtmauerstraße 6

Flowers:

• Wassermann Floristik

  phone: +49 9131 24 170
  address: Martinsbühler Straße 8

Gifts, arts and crafts:

• Der feine Laden

  phone: +49 9131 222 71
  address: Hauptstraße 53

• Galerie am Eck

  phone: +49 9131 9749395
  address: Engelstraße 14

• Kunst-Haus Christina Kammerer

  address: Heuwaagstraße 6

• Prachtstück

  phone: +49 9131 9232733
  address: Obere Karlstraße 5

• Kreaia Schmuck und Design

  address: Schiffstraße 7
  A goldsmith workshop and sales location which is part of Kreativlabor Erlangen, also hosting a small gallery with changing exhibitions and sometimes tiny concerts

Records and music:

• Bongartz

  phone: +49 9131 908 0520
  address: Hauptstraße 56
  CDs and LPs of modern music, pop, rock, indie, very strong also in electronic music.

• Der Schallplattenmann

  phone: +49 9131 4000 868
  address: Fahrstraße 12
  CDs and LPs of modern music, pop, rock, indie, very strong in world music.

Flea markets

Erlangen hosts some good flea markets, amongst the garage style sales, the following ones are recommended (for best offers, come early, they usually start around 08:00):

• Flohmarkt Bohlenplatz (at times)

  address: Bohlenplatz

• Trödelmarkt am Erlanger Großparkplatz (at times)

Malls

• neuer markt

  address: Rathausplatz 5
  The older of the shopping malls contains the renowned clothes merchant Wöhrl, C&A, smaller shops and a small but good food court.

• Arcaden

  phone: +49 9131 97 00 00
  address: Nürnberger Straße 7
  This is the bigger mall within Erlangen; it offers a wide variety covering most needs (including food offers upstairs).

The region is famous for the number and charm of its beer gardens, where in summer you can enjoy a cool drink and a bite to eat (Brotzeit = German equivalent of a picnic) whilst enjoying traditional music. Entla's Keller (regional dialect for duck's cellar) is located on the Burgberg where the Bergkirchweih is held as well but outside of this festival operates as a normal beer garden (the locally preferred word is Bierkeller, beer-cellar) and sells typical Franconian cuisine and beer by the liter.

Budget

• Döner shops along the Hauptstraße

  address: Hauptstraße
  There are several döner places all along Hauptstraße, for example a good one is Zio Cey (especially for falafel).

• Food court in Neuer Markt shopping mall

  address: Rathausplatz 5
  A small food court with solid food offerings (sushi, pizza, döner, vegetarian burgers international food); beside the food court there is also an Asian food booth.

• Sems Döner

  address: Marquardsenstraße 22
  An excellent döner place.

• Kaiser Wilhelm

  address: Fichtestraße 2
  A short, standard but solid menu in a friendly "Wirtshaus" environment; daily promotional offerings. As the image on the outside shows, this venue isn't named after the Wilhelm II of World War I fame but his grandfather, Wilhelm I who was Prussian King and then German Emperor until 1888.

• Tacos Inc

  phone: +49 9131 6115761
  address: Obere Karlstraße 15
  Tex-Mex food.

• Samui Asia Lounge

  phone: +49 9131 9706878
  address: Richard-Wagner-Straße 6
  One of the best Thai offerings in Erlangen, to eat in the restaurant or take-away.

• Buon Giorno Italia

  phone: +49-9131 - 61 46 200
  address: Obere Karlstr. 34
  Italian ciabatta with cheese, salami and antipasti.

• Zum Pleitegeier

  phone: +49 9131 207324
  address: Hauptstraße 100
  This is a kind of institution in Erlangen. Plainly decorated, however young in mind. The courtyard becomes a beergarden in summer. Cheep salads, unconventional pizza and small to bigger plates with adequate drink prices make the Pleitegeier a popular meeting spot.

• Tio Bar and Restaurant

  address: Südliche Stadtmauerstraße 1a
  The Tio offers good pizza baked in a wood oven in a modern, friendly atmosphere.

• Curry house

  address: Helmstraße 11
  Fresh Indian fast food and lassis.

• Kulisse

  phone: +49 9131 207 930
  address: Theaterstraße 8
  A nice classic pub offering dinner or a beer.

Vegetarian and vegan (or mostly)

• Süß und würzig

  address: Untere Karlstraße 13
  Small dishes and sandwiches.

• Yoghurt Bar Erlangen

  address: Untere Karlstraße 15
  Tasty homemade soups and frozen yoghurts. Popular with university students as the university library is close by.

Further options

• You can have sandwiches at several bakeries, e.g. "Der Beck" cafés and in some of "Der Kalchreuther Bäcker"
• Furthermore, many of the Cafés listed in the Drink section offer a limited set of dishes at comparably low price.

Mid-range

• Muskat

  phone: +49 9131 974 343
  address: Hauptstraße 60
  Great organic food and beverages, friendly staff.

Franconian and German

• Kitzmann BräuSchänke

  phone: +49 9131 81 08 33
  address: Südliche Stadtmauerstraße 25
  Near the center of the city. Traditional German food and beer from the local brewery.

• Spezerei

  phone: +49 - 9131 - 400 04 32
  address: Wöhrstraße 1
  A traditional Franconian restaurant.

• Alter Simpl

  phone: +49 9131 2 56 26
  address: Bohlenplatz 2
  A very classical Franconian restaurant/pub.

• Ritter St. Georg

  phone: +49 9131 7665-0
  address: Herzogenauracher Damm 11
  A nice place for Franconian food, somewhat south of the center in the district of Bruck, next to the river Regnitz.

• zur Einkehr - Gasthof Gütlein

  phone: +49 9131 7920
  address: Dorfstraße 14
  A nicely renovated traditional restaurant and guesthouse in Büchenbach.

• Fischerei Oberle

  address: Am Deckersweiher 24 91056 Erlangen, Kosbach
  A traditional seafood place family owned for over 350 years. They raise their own fish which you can also buy at their on-site fish shop. In 2018 they started brewing their own beer.

Beer gardens (Biergärten)

• Steinbach Bräu

  phone: +49 9131 89 59 - 12
  address: Vierzigmannstraße 4
  It is hidden in the alleys of the city in the northern part, so tourists cannot easily find it. Traditional German food with fresh beer from their microbrewery.

• Unicum

  phone: +49 9131 503 480
  address: Carl-Thiersch-Straße 9
  At the Rothelheimpark to the east of the city. During summers, the beautiful Biergarten is open.

• Entla's Keller

  phone: +49 9131-22100
  address: An den Kellern 5-7
  One of the best known Keller during Bergkirchweih this one focuses on the food at least as much as the beer ("Entla" is Franconian for duck). It is also the only one to be open all summer long and it is as good a place as any to sample traditional Franconian cuisine and the unique Bierkeller experience.

• Biergarten am Röthelheim

  phone: +49 9131 302 060
  address: Am Röthelheim 40c
  A nice beer garden somewhat south of the centre.

International

• Orpheus

  phone: +49 9131 24235
  address: Luitpoldstraße 25, 91025 Erlangen
  Greek restaurant.

• Poseidon

  phone: +49 9131 - 30 29 99
  address: Nürnberger Str.108
  Greek restaurant, somewhat south of the city center.

• Gionti

  phone: +49 9131 97 45 85
  address: Hauptstraße 117
  Italian restaurant.

• Goldener Hecht – da Cesare

  phone: +49 9131 21 496
  address: Glockenstr. 8
  Italian, pizza.

• Lê & Vi

  phone: +49 9131 9884973
  address: Nürnberger Str. 58A
  Asian fusion cuisine of good quality, very modern style, somewhat hip interior, friendly staff, the only disadvantage is that the whole room somewhat smells of food as they cook within the room.

• Morena Brasil

  phone: +49 9131 531 95 95
  Brazilian cuisine (authentic) in the setting of a former German "Wirtshaus", located in the Bruck district (south of the city center).

• Sen Asian Tapas Bar

  phone: +49 9131 9 78 33 89
  address: Allee am Röthelheimpark 15
  Sushi and other Asian “tapas” (small plates of which you eat multiple).

• Rossofuoco

  phone: +49 9131 532 51 78
  address: Schuhstraße 34a
  A great, high-quality pizzeria.

Miscellaneous

• Café Cycles

  phone: +49 - 9131 - 29 127
  address: Marquardsenstraße 18
  Student place with varying solid food but no big choice (offer depends on the day, e.g. burgers, pizza).

• Café Brazil

  phone: +49 - 9131 - 23455
  A relatively small menu but good food with mostly good daily offerings, often populated with students.

• Salz und Pfeffer

  address: Hartmannstr. 19
  Good food but somewhat densely packed and noisy. You mostly need to book in advance to get a seating.

Splurge

• Lennox steak + seafoodNext to the Martin Luther Square (and church).

• Rauchfang (steak house)

  phone: +49 9131 23236
  address: Bismarckstraße 15
  Nice classical steak restaurant with seasonal additions in the menu, friendly atmosphere and service and high quality, tasty food.

• Altmanns Stube

  phone: +49 9131 891 60
  address: Theaterplatz 9

• Mein lieber Schwan

  address: +49 (0)9131-53540
  One of the best restaurants in town, with a short but diverse menu, and tasty quality food and friendly staff.

• Zen

  phone: +49 9131 9733166
  address: Theaterplatz 22
  Bar and Thai restaurant. Impressive building and interior.

• Japanisches Restaurant Nippon

  phone: +49 9131 - 502725
  address: Gräfenberger Str. 32 91054 Buckenhof
  High quality Japanese restaurant with some European offerings.

• Hirosakao

  phone: +49 9131 973 25 55
  address: Allee am Röthelheimpark 13
  Sushi and other Japanese food.

Breakfast

If you are looking for a nice breakfast out of your hotel, have a look at the Café section as some of the cafés have the respective offerings.

Cafés

While Erlangen is somewhat short of nice street cafés, there are many places where you can enjoy a good cup in the rooms, quiet gardens or at some places even with a look outside to see what is happening. Some of the good addresses which are operating as cafés at daytime and partly as bars on the evenings are:
Neustadt area (around Neustädter Kirchplatz and Bohlenplatz)

• Erlanger Teehaus

  phone: +49 9131 22 9 11
  address: Friedrichstraße 14
  A good place for a tea or cake in the comfortable rooms or nice garden; it also offers good breakfast.

• Amir der Kaffemann

  phone: +49 9131 975 42 11
  address: Fahrstraße 5
  Amir is a near-fanatic coffee lover and expert, one of the best places to have a really good cup of coffee (he roasts his own blends). You can also have a decent tea, smoothies, and snacks such as bagels. It has only few outdoor seats available.

• Kafferösterei Königmann

  address: Weiße Herzstraße 2
  Offers coffer, hot chocolate and tea; you can also sit outside with a view onto the Neustädter Kirchplatz which is next to it.

• Bel Ami

  phone: +49 9131 9745970
  address: Neustädter Kirchplatz 2
  French café which also offers small dishes.

• Café Mohr

  phone: +49 9131 - 9247763
  address: Obere-Karl Straße 4
  A Vienna-style coffee house, located next to the main university libarary.

On and around Market Square:

• Café Mengin

  address: Schlossplatz 5
  Situated between the Schlossgarten and Schlossplatz, this good café offers delicious cakes; furthermore there is a great breakfast offering and later during the day other small dishes

• Café Margarta

  phone: +49 9131 977 19 53
  address: Hauptstraße 33
  A nice French, somewhat hip café with outdoor seating at the Marktplatz (market square), also offering breakfast

• Sax

  phone: +49 9131 90 88 440
  address: Am Schloßplatz 6
  During the day for a coffee or small dishes, or at night for a beer.

• Rösttrommel Kafferösterei

  phone: +49 9131 977 71 23
  address: Hauptstraße 37
  Another coffee roaster place where you can get a great cup.

Old town (Altstadt):

• La Barca

  phone: +49 9131 205 868
  address: Schiffstraße 12
  Small dishes and drinks.

• Café Bar Intensiv

  phone: +49 9131 4063210
  address: Katholischer Kirchenplatz 4
  A friendly cafe during daytime, which also has bar offerings in the evening

Southern part of the center (around Nürnberger Straße):

• Coffini

  phone: +49-9131-612 527
  address: Nürnberger Str. 9
  At a major intersection of the pedestrian zone with another street, near the Erlangen Arcaden mall, you can sit outside in the buzzing crowd in summer or in the somewhat quieter inner area which is in one of the old small "palace" style buildings of Erlangen. Fresh cake.

East of the center (area towards Lorlebergplatz/Zollhof/Med Museum):

• Café Brazil

  phone: +49 9131 23455
  address: Bismarckstraße 25
  A café and bar which offers a short but good menu of regularly changing dishes and cakes, and breakfast.

• Schwarz & Stark

  address: Henkestraße 90
  Friendly, modern and spatious cafe with a limited lunch offering.

• Café Weiß

  phone: +49 9131 530 2560
  address: Lorlebergplatz 1

Out of core town:

• Waldcafé

  phone: +49 911 47576 1100 (office not in cafe)
  address: Weinstraße 100
  Attached to the Walderlebniszentrum, this café is under old trees inmidst of green. It is run in a way including disabled people, most of the offers are home made.

Bars and pubs

• Kanapee

  phone: +49 9131 25837
  address: Neue Straße 50
  A well-established bar with several rooms especially popular amongst students, they also show the big Bundesliga football games

• Manhattan bar

  phone: +49 - 9131 - 97 06 96
  address: Güterhallenstraße 4
  A nice bar operated with one of the arthouse cinemas.

• Schwarzer Ritter

  phone: +49 9131 24976
  address: Paulistraße 10
  While it opens at similar times as other bars, this is the place to go when everything else has closed; it becomes crowded only very late at night or early in the morning. Their main draw is that they offer warm food until 05:00.

• Gummi Wörner

  address: Hauptstraße 90
  A rather hip bar, where students and Siemens employees are often seen; on Saturdays they usually open the basement and have a DJ play music.

• Transfer

  phone: +49 9131 26 929
  address: Westliche Stadtmauerstrßae 8
  A rather alternative place whose interior has not changed for quite long, it is very friendly inside, even though the requirement to ring the doorbell to get in may suggest otherwise.

• Café Cycles

  phone: +49 9131 29 127
  address: Marquardsenstraße 18
  A friendly café with a small set of dishes and a bar at night; it also offers some tables in a quiet side street so one can sit outside in summer.

• Wort und Klang

  phone: +49 1516 8192780
  address: Goethestraße 12
  A nice bar which sometimes also has DJs and live acts

Cocktail bars:

• Havana Bar

  address: Engelstraße 17
  One of the best bars for cocktails in Erlangen.

Venues with regular live music:

• Strohalm

  phone: +49 9131 214 23
  address: Hauptstraße 107
  This bar is an institution in Erlangen, especially amongst the scene of music interested people as it regularly hosts live acts and an open stage.

Pubs:

• Murphy's law (Irish pub)

  phone: +49 9131 829 78 99
  address: Bismarckstraße 30
  This Irish pub at Lorlebergplatz also offers a selection of dishes in the evening (try the great chicken and mushroom pie); furthermore, they sometimes have live music. It is very popular amongst students and the working crowd, especially on weekends.

• Dartmoor Inn

  phone: +49 9131 205 120
  address: Friedrichstraße 34
  A pub started as an English-style pub, but gradually grew to become more of a sportsbar, which you should especially visit when interested in playing darts or eating fish and chips; it also offers burgers.

Wine:

• Enoteca

  address: Schiffstraße 2
  Good wine and little Italian snacks.

Clubs and discos

• Paisley

  address: Nürnberger Straße 15
  House music, frequent events.

• Zirkel

  address: Hauptstraße 105
  Student club in the basement. The owner of this place and the Kanapee bar is the same and they often have cross-promotions (e.g. drink a certain amount at Kanapee for free entrance to Zirkel). On Friday and Saturday nights there will often be a lot of high school students, but on Tuesday and Thursday nights university students tend to dominate the crowd.

• Erlkönig

  address: Nürnberger Straße 1
  DJ music, bar and club.

Budget

• AB Hotel

  phone: +49 9131 9244700
  address: Harfenstraße 1c
  Quiet and clean, with free WLAN.
  Reception openings: Monday->Friday: 08:30->14:00, 17:00->21:00; Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 10:00->14:00, 17:00->20:00

• Gasthof Schwarzer Bär

  phone: +49 9131 22872
  address: Innere Brucker Straße 19

• Hotel Central

  phone: +49 9131 78 85 0
  address: Westliche Stadtmauerstraße 12

Camping:

• Camping-Club Rangau e.V.

  phone: +49 91 35 88 66
  address: Campingstraße 44
  Located in a local recreation area (at Erlangen's biggest pond), this site is operating April through September.

Mid-range

• Hotelchen Garni am Theater

  phone: +49 9131 80860
  address: Theaterstraße 10
  As the name says, it is in the Theater area of the city.

• Altmanns Stube

  phone: +49 9131 89 160,
  address: Theaterplatz 9
  Also has a restaurant.

• NH Erlangen

  phone: +49 9131 89120, +49 30 22 388 599 (reservations)
  address: Beethovenstraße 3

• Novotel

  phone: +49 9131 97 470
  address: Hofmannstraße 34

• Creativhotel Luise

  phone: +49 9131 122-0
  address: Sophienstraße 10
  Classy business hotel close to the centre of the city (1 km from the train station). Great rooms with comfort apartments.

• Zeitwohnhaus

  phone: +49 9131 530 39 40
  address: Luitpoldstraße 10
  Classy business hotel and serviced apartments close to the centre of the city (1 km from railway station). Great rooms with comfort apartments.

• Fränkischer Hof

  phone: +49 9131 872-0
  address: Goethestraße 34

• zur Einkehr - Gasthof Gütlein

  phone: +49 9131 7920
  address: Dorfstraß 14
  This is a nicely renovated traditional guesthouse with restaurant in Büchenbach.

• Art Hotel

  phone: +49 9131 7140-0
  address: Äußere Brucker Straße 90

• Villa Glas

  phone: +49 9131 97 00 440
  address: Wilhelmstraße 23
  This hotel at the east end of the city center in a quiet residential area has not changed in the last years but is still friendly.

• Stadthaus

  phone: +49 9131 974 30 71
  address: Henkestraße 4
  A somewhat smaller, friendly hotel 50 m from the pedestrian zone.

Apartments:

• König Otto

  phone: +49 9131 878-0
  address: Henkestrase 56

• Book-IT

  phone: +49 9131 6101-300
  address: Carl-Thiersch-Straße 2c
  200 apartments spread over 4 buildings, some in modern buildings and some in highly renovated old brick barrack buildings. Two buildings are at this location, whereas the other two are at other locations within 10 minutes' walk from this one.

Splurge

• Altstadthotel Grauer Wolf

  phone: +49 9131-810 60
  address: Hauptstraße 80
  Has a gourmet restaurant.

• Rokokohaus

  phone: +49 9131 783-0
  address: Theaterplatz 13
  Exquisite hotel.

• Hotel and apartments Kral

  phone: +49 9131 81009-0
  address: Luitpoldstraße 77

• Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergNamed after two Margraves, one the founder and another a great benefactor of the university, this was the only institution of higher learning left open when Maximilian of Bavaria was given control over Franconia by Napoleon. It is today the only thing that can even rival Siemens in importance for the city. The campus is spread all over Erlangen with a few things even in Nuremberg (hence the name). While their reputation for medicine is excellent and evangelical theology was the only reason King Maximilian didn't shut it down (like he did with all other newly acquired universities) it has a broad offer of subjects and academic partnerships with many universities that make exchange vastly easier. At almost 40 000 students (winter semester 2017/18) it is one of the ten biggest universities in Germany by student count.

There are many interesting and charming destinations for sightseeing and day trips (or longer) in the Erlangen region. The surrounding countryside is beautiful (Franconian Switzerland, Franconian lake district) and there are many towns and villages of historical and architectural interest.

• Augsburg - often overlooked nice medium-sized city near to and much older than Munich, historically important amongst others due to its strong banking business
• Bamberg - old bishop-town - UNESCO World Heritage site
• Fürth - Erlangen's next neighbour to the south, this city is much overlooked, but has over 2000 historic monuments to offer and is streadily improving its inner city offerings
• Munich - the capital of Bavaria
• Nuremberg - the big neighbouring city
• Rothenburg ob der Tauber - a rather small city, famous for its mostly original medieval old center
• Würzburg - a nice city in with a strong wine growing business in the surroundings and magnificent Baroque heritage (UNESCO World Heritage site), situated at the Main river

Smaller or less famous but nevertheless worthy destinations in the area:

• Forchheim quite a nice small town with mostly intact old town a short S-Bahn ride from Erlangen
• Herzogenaurach - a quaint and nice Franconian town that's home to Adidas and Puma with correspondingly many sports outlet-store shopping opportunities

Erlangen's sister cities around the world include Riverside, California San Carlos (Nicaragua), Bolzano, Beşiktaş, Eskilstuna, Jena, Shenzhen, Rennes and Stoke on Trent