Erfurt Cathedral Hill

Erfurt put its cathedral and the church of St Severus side by side on the same rock, and because the ground fell away they had to raise a huge substructure of vaults to hold the choir level. The result reads as one building with five towers, seen across the Domplatz and up a broad open staircase of about seventy steps. In the cathedral tower hangs the Gloriosa, cast in 1497 and one of the largest free swinging medieval bells anywhere, rung only a handful of days each year. Inside are tall Gothic windows, a twelfth century bronze candle bearer and choir stalls carved with everyday working scenes.

What you actually see

• The Domstufen - the wide open staircase between square and churches, used as a stage in summer.
• The Gloriosa - a bell cast in 1497, sounded on only a few days in the year.
• The bronze candle bearer - a twelfth century figure holding lights, among the oldest of its kind.
• St Severus - the neighbouring hall church with its stone font canopy under three steep spires.

When to go

Both churches open daily and close for services. In summer the steps carry an open air opera season, which means staging fills the square for several weeks and the classic view is blocked, though the evenings are worth it. December puts a market at the foot of the stairs. Tower access is limited and seasonal.

Honest expectations

The square is a car free expanse that bakes in summer with almost no shade. Interiors are darker than the exteriors promise, and photography is discouraged during services. The famous bell is silent on nearly every day of the year, which surprises people who came for it. Summer staging blocks the view for weeks.

Nearby

The Kramerbrucke lined with houses and shops, the baroque hill fortress opposite, and Weimar and Gotha within an hour.