The Merchants' Bridge is almost 700 years old and the most impressive of Erfurt's many bridges, with inhabited buildings along its entire length. Once a year, Erfurt does get a bit crowded, when more than 100,000 visitors fill the narrow historical streets for the Merchants' Bridge Festival. One of the largest Old Town festivals in Thuringia, it sees artists and performers provide music, entertainment and short plays and finishes 17 June.