Erlangen Germany Bavaria
Germany

5 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

CroisiEurope (5 Cruises)

In 1686, a margrave of Franconia offered refuge to Huguenots fleeing France. Rather than housing them in existing suburbs, he had an entire town laid out for them, with streets drawn ruler-straight and baroque façades aligned with almost mathematical precision. That planned town is Erlangen. River ships travelling the Main-Danube Canal stop here today, and passengers heading into the centre walk through an urban plan that has stayed true to its seventeenth-century layout.

A Town Drawn in a Single Stroke

Downtown Erlangen is easily explored on foot. The streets meet at right angles, the squares open up exactly where they were planned more than three centuries ago, and the whole ensemble has a harmony few German towns have managed to keep. Erlangen was spared by the war, which explains the remarkable condition of its baroque heritage. The old town hall, the mansions, and the residences of the Franconian nobility come together in a cohesive setting, with no modern break to disturb its lines.

Along the way, the Huguenottenkirche catches the eye. This church, built by the French refugees, remains the oldest Huguenot church still in use outside France. Its plain interior reflects the spirit of the community that built it: craftsmen, glovemakers, and weavers who brought their skills and turned a small town into a thriving city.

The Margraves' Palace and Its Garden

A few streets further on, the Margrave's Palace closes off one of the main squares. The building has housed Friedrich-Alexander University since the eighteenth century, giving Erlangen its student atmosphere. Behind the building stretches the Schlossgarten, one of the earliest baroque gardens in Franconia. Shaded pathways, flowerbeds, and the Huguenot Fountain make it a peaceful stop between two legs of a walk. Students study on the lawns, families push strollers along the paths: the garden belongs to the locals first and foremost, and that's exactly what makes it so appealing.

Nearby, the university's botanical garden brings together about 4,000 plant species in a compact space. The greenhouses and alpine collections can be seen in half an hour, a worthwhile addition for anyone with an interest in botany.

Art at the Palais Stutterheim

The Palais Stutterheim, a former patrician residence now serving as a Kunstpalais, hosts contemporary art exhibitions within a baroque setting. The contrast between the historic rooms and the current works sums up the town rather well: rooted in its past while looking toward research and creativity. Siemens employs thousands of engineers here, and that dual identity shows in the nearby cafés, where professors, researchers, and students from around the world mix easily.

The Hill of Beer Cellars

North of the centre rises the Burgberg, a hill riddled with cellars once dug to keep beer cool. Every spring since 1755, the Bergkirchweih has drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors to its shaded terraces here. Outside of festival time, the trails of the Burgberg offer a quiet walk and a few views over the rooftops. Year-round, the breweries serve the Franconian beers that built the region's reputation, paired with simple, hearty fare.

Tips for the Stop

  • The historic centre is best explored on foot; distances stay short once you're there.
  • The Schlossgarten and the botanical garden can easily be combined in about an hour.
  • Shops close on Sundays, as they do throughout Germany; cafés and museums stay open.
  • Nuremberg lies about twenty kilometres south, reachable by regional train for those with a longer stop.

Erlangen doesn't try to impress. It tells, instead, a story of welcome: that of a place born of exile, built for outsiders, and one that continues to draw minds from elsewhere. Heading back aboard, it's hard not to think of those straight streets laid out for refugees, some towns carry generosity built right into their very plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

On the Main-Danube Canal, used by river cruise vessels. The centre is reachable on foot and easy to cover: the streets cross at right angles and the distances stay short.
Because in 1686 a Franconian margrave offered refuge to Huguenots driven out of France and had an entire town laid out for them, with streets drawn by rule and baroque facades aligned with almost mathematical precision. Passengers walking into the centre are moving through a street plan faithful to the 17th century.
No, the war spared Erlangen, which explains the remarkable condition of its baroque heritage. The old town hall, the townhouses and the residences of the Franconian nobility form a coherent whole, with no modern interruption to break the line.
The church built by the French refugees, still the oldest Huguenot church in use outside France. Its plain interior recalls the spirit of the community that built it: craftsmen, glovemakers and weavers who turned a small town into a prosperous city.
The building closes one of the main squares and has housed the Friedrich-Alexander University since the 18th century, which gives Erlangen its student atmosphere. Behind it stretches the Schlossgarten, one of the earliest baroque gardens in Franconia.
A baroque garden of shaded walks, with its parterres and Huguenot fountain, a peaceful stop between one thing and the next. Students revise on the lawns, families push prams: the garden belongs first to the residents, and that is what makes it endearing.
Yes, the university's, right beside the Schlossgarten, gathering about 4,000 plant species in a compact space. The glasshouses and alpine collections take half an hour to see.
A former patrician residence turned Kunstpalais, showing contemporary art exhibitions in a baroque setting. The contrast between historic rooms and current work sums up the town: rooted in its past and turned toward research and creation.
A hill north of the centre, honeycombed with cellars once dug to keep beer cool. Every spring since 1755 the Bergkirchweih has gathered the townspeople around these cellars: it is one of the oldest beer festivals in Germany.
The euro and German. As a university town where Siemens employs thousands of engineers, Erlangen speaks English widely: in the cafés you will find professors, researchers and students from around the world side by side. Cards work in most shops.