Welcome to Erlangen

Erlangen is one of the best preserved baroque cities in Germany and boasts a rich lively history. Currently Erlangen is home to more than 110,000 inhabitants.

Erlangen gained its reputation as an open-minded city from the 17th century when Huguenots made it their second home. The international atmosphere persists to date - not least due to Erlangen's position as a centre for medicine and medical technology and the major site of Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) with its almost 40,000 students from both Germany and abroad.

Erlangen today is also home to the numerous branch offices of Siemens AG and of course the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light. With Nuremberg and Fürth, Erlangen belongs to the European Metropolitan Region Nuremberg (EMN), which is home to numerous global players such as adidas, Puma, Schäffler, DATEV and Bosch as well as MAN. According to the statistics authority "Eurostat", Erlangen has had the highest number of patent applications per capita in Europe in recent years. The unemployment rate in 2019 was 3,5 percent.

The mixture of new city dwellers and locals of all ages ensures that the "savoir-vivre" of the French settlers lives on. As a result, Erlangen today boasts a rich cultural scene with a variety of events for all tastes: live music, art and figure theatre are as much at home here as the poetry festival and the comic salon. Last, but not least, there is the annual "Erlanger Bergkirchweih"; a beer festival, which is an outdoor event frequented and treasured by Franconians. Despite a relatively high number of visitors, it is not widely known by tourists, or those living outside Bavaria.

 

Places and events to visit in Erlangen:

  • Museums: Erlangen offers a wide variety of Museums. Themes range from art and history to health and engineering. Take a look at a selection of the most popular museums.
  • Palace Garden: The Palace Garden is one of the oldest baroque gardens in Franconia. It also serves as the venue of the yearly Schlossgartenfest of the Friedrich Alexander University.
    Opening hours: 6 am until 8 pm
  • Botanical Garden: Visit the Botanical Garden to see plants and trees from all around the world. Tip: Every Sunday from April to September you get the chance visit a historica stalactite cave located in the Garden.
    You can find more information about the Garden and its opening hours on their website.
  • Cultural Events: There are several cultural events like concerts, poetry festivals or movie nights in Erlangen each week. You can find more information about all events here.

MPL Research Centers and Schools