Enchanting Christmas markets

Erfurt in Germany. Ever heard of it?

I have to admit that I hadn't. I thought perhaps it was my pathetic geography to blame. So when my trip to Erfurt, which is located in the heart of Germany, was booked I asked a few people. Most hadn't heard of it either.

It was a relief to know it wasn't my stupidity to blame and my web-based research revealed there would be more to Erfurt than meets the eye. After my trip there, well, what can I say? How can a place steeped in so much history be so little known? What a wonderful place to visit.

Once I did my reading up on Erfurt I couldn't wait to get there. It is the centre of modern Germany and the capital of Thuringia. On March 19 1970, the East and West German heads of government Willi Stoph and Willy Brandt met in Erfurt, the first such meeting since the division of the country. The city is famous for its links to Martin Luther, the medieval theologian Meister Eckhart, the Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel, its Christmas markets – which are among the biggest in Europe – and its local food produce. I couldn't wait.

Following a comfortable Lufthansa flight from Manchester we landed in Frankfurt, my first trip to Germany. My first big thumbs-up on arriving in the country was for the impressive public transport system.

Generally I try to avoid using public transport at home due to being unable to deal with the stress of overcrowding, cancelled and delayed trains, etc.

But our train from Frankfurt airport to Erfurt was clean, comfortable, not crowded and on time. The member of staff who found our seats for us was extremely helpful even though I speak no German and she spoke no English!

We arrived at Erfurt's InterCityHotel to a warm welcome and with enough time to have a little wander around the area close to the hotel and to unpack our suitcases.

The research I had carried out ahead of my trip came in useful at this point as when choosing what to have for dinner, I remembered that a speciality dish of the region was dumplings. So, despite never having been a huge fan of dumplings (I blame school dinners) I still wanted to give the local food a go. I have to say they were amazing. Nothing like the tooth-shattering boulders we were served up at school. Fresh and soft, yet chewy, I could have eaten a hundred of them. I thought it was only fair to give the local beer a try too. Another thumbs-up from me.

I couldn't wait to get going in Erfurt. The city is known for being the spiritual home of Martin Luther, the great reformer. He lived in Erfurt during his youth and studied at the city's university. He once said: "Erfurt is situated in the best location. It is the perfect place for a city."

Our first day in Erfurt involved a guided tour of the city's historic sites. Following in the footsteps of Martin Luther was an unexpected honour. Luther lived in Erfurt for 10 years, five of those spent as a student at university. As part of our tour we visited the monastery where Luther lived as a monk. Part of the monastery is now a hotel and would be the ideal place to stay for those in need of a quiet and peaceful break.

One highlight was a tour of the oldest standing synagogue in Europe. The building was rediscovered during restoration works and now houses an extensive treasure of medieval gold and silver, including a rare ring of which there are only three in the world. One of these was found in Erfurt.

Another delight of Erfurt is Merchants' Bridge. This is one of the city's main landmarks and is the longest series of inhabited buildings on any bridge in Europe. It is entirely covered in houses and shops. At one time only luxury goods such as spices and medicaments, dyes, precious metals, silk and paper were available, but today small galleries and shops selling local produce line the bridge.

Anyone who has read my reviews in the past may recall I'm obsessed with food. So it came as no surprise to me or my companion that my favourite stop on the bridge was, of course, the chocolate shop. I had to be dragged out of there. Delicious and beautifully decorated home-made chocolates lined the shelves of the shop and I had to sample a few – in the interests of a fair and balanced review, of course. They were delicious.

Christmas markets are a huge draw for Erfurt, stalls selling hand-crafted toys and ornaments, candles and locally-produced food as well as international dishes line the streets of the city. Visitors are entertained day and night by live music and fairground rides. More than two million people visit the city's festive markets each year – a huge number for a city with just 200,000 inhabitants.

This year the city will be hosting its 165th Christmas markets but Erfurt is for life, not just for Christmas. This city is among the most beautiful I have ever seen and I can't recommend a visit enough. The Christmas markets are a great draw for a few weeks of the year but there are so many more reasons to visit this wonderful area. The markets in Weimar, just a short train ride away, also boast an impressive selection of traditional food and crafts.

We enjoyed a guided tour of Weimar and, in the same way as Erfurt, it had so much more to offer. With its parks, gardens, castles and poets' homes, Weimar is also steeped in history.

Hundreds of thousands of visitors each year follow in the footsteps of Goethe and Schille, taking in the historic links to the pair.

We enjoyed lunch at the Elephant Hotel (more dumplings – my third portion in as many days I think) and our tour guide informed us that Hitler stayed there often on his visits to the region.

To finish off our day there we paid a brief visit to Buchenwald, a memorial to the Second World War concentration camp. This was a shocking and thought-provoking experience.

Our last day involved going over some favourite sites from the few days of our stay. Of course we had to call in again at the chocolate shop as we were passing by.

I wish I could have spent more time in these fascinating areas, and I will return.

Travel facts

Flights: Lufthansa (lufthansa.com)

Trains: Deutsche Bahn (deutsche bahn.com/en)

Accommodation: InterCity Hotel Erfurt (en.intercityhotel.com), rooms from £49 per night

Restaurants: Siju Erfurt (www.si-juerfurt.de); Elephantenkeller Weimar (hotelelephantweimar.com/en/elephant enkeller)

Events: Erfurt Christmas Market (erfurter-weihnachtsmarkt.eu); Weimar Christmas Market (weimar.en)

For further information: Thuringia Tourist Board (thuringia-tourism.com)