Erfurt - Guide for Gays, Lesbians and Queers

Erfurt is the state capital of Thuringia and, with a little over two hundred thousand residents, the largest city in the state. The queer scene is small but well connected. Anyone wanting to get to know it will find the most important addresses almost all in the old town, many of them along Johannesstraße.

The central point of contact is the Queeres Zentrum Erfurt at Johannesstraße 52, entrance on Waldenstraße. It opened a few years ago and describes itself as the only queer centre in Thuringia. Its work rests on three pillars: community, counselling and education. Volunteers organise meetups, games nights, a social café, self-help groups, activities for young people and a queer library. Psychosocial counselling is open to queer people of all ages, as well as to relatives and friends. The centre also runs workshops on sexual and gender diversity for school classes and professionals throughout Thuringia.

Further along the same street is the Klubhaus Kickerkeller at Johannesstraße 156. The club, with a bar and its own brewery, is not an exclusively queer venue, but it regularly hosts queer party series and drag nights.

The highlight of the year is Erfurt Pride, organised by Erfurt Pride e.V. The march and street festival take place on and around the Domplatz, with a stage programme, drag shows and stands run by queer associations.

Erfurt has no gay bar open every day and no gay sauna. Those looking for more choice will find further queer parties and meeting points in Jena and Weimar. A visit to Erfurt easily combines an evening in the scene with a walk through the medieval old town.