Erfurt is the capital and largest city of Thuringia, a state in central Germany. It has a population of approximately 216,000 residents and is situated in the wide valley of the River Gera within the southern portion of the Thuringian Basin, just north of the Thuringian Forest.
The city occupies a central position in a line of six major Thuringian cities that stretch from Eisenach in the west to Gera in the east. Geographically, Erfurt is one of the largest cities located near the center of Germany, situated roughly 100 km southwest of Leipzig and 300 km southwest of Berlin.