Jena is not very interesting btw.

Erfurt and Gotha I will see next year, when I stay in Weimar.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Now I need to check out all the links and bring notes with me. I may be back with questions, we leave in 5 days to begin our trip. Starting out in Munich and then to Austria for a few days, and the actual anniversary will be spent in Weimar, which will be the best part of the trip now (you know what I mean).

Lot's of fun!!!

Your comment has solved my dilemma...i have 3 nights to stay solo in Germany before heading back to Frankfurt for flight back to us.. I'd be arriving in Erfurt on Saturday and was thinking this was probably going to be more 'down' time than i needed..assuming that a lot of things will be closed on Sunday..But a day trip to Weimar would be great!! Thank you thank you.

Anytime! :)

Another possibility is to go to Eisenach (45 mins from Erfurt) and hike up to the Wartburg, ie, the fortress/castle where Luther translated the Bible, etc. Lots of German history there. Eisenach itself is also nice.

>>we shall see what the weather is like...this will be like the 2nd week in dec..!!

2nd weekend in December? That's just perfect for the Christmas market in Erfurt. Go, no matter what the weather will be like. They'll provide enough Glühwein to keep you warm.

Here's another who fell in love with Erfurt. The place is a jewel.

In Erfurt, I highly recommend the recently-built Grand Hotel am Dom (an Accor property). It is just around the corner from the Dom and is right across the street from the Theater Erfurt, the new opera house that opened in 2003. It is very easy to reach if you are arriving by train - from the outside of the Hauptbahnhof, take EVAG streetcar #4 to the "Theater" stop - it takes just a couple of minutes from Anger Square (the shopping and transportation hub). The rooms are modern and well-equipped, with beautiful public areas and a very good restaurant serving a truly outstanding breakfast:

http://www.grand-hotel-erfurt.de