Jerichow: Brick, Monastery and Elbe Floodplains

Jerichow tells its story in brick: at the former monastery, the town church and a windmill with its original interior structure intact. There are also paths through Elbe meadows and a varied natural landscape. When planning your trip, you can choose to focus on cultural history, nature or active days.

Monastery, Brick and Mill History

Jerichow Monastery was founded for the Premonstratensians and is an important Romanesque monument. It is considered the oldest brick building in northern Germany and lies on the Romanesque Road. The monastery includes restored monastic rooms, the cloister and a historical exhibition in the dormitory. Visitors can learn about the monastery’s history in the monastery museum; guided tours of the church and monastery grounds are also available. Check tour dates in advance.

The Brick Museum also explores the material that has shaped Jerichow’s architectural history: it covers the origins, history and spread of bricks in the Elbe region. During bookable demonstrations, visitors can shape a new brick from clay and make a miniature brick themselves. The monastery museum can also demonstrate brick-making for interested travel groups. If you plan to take part in these activities, confirm availability separately.

The Dutch-style Jerichow Windmill offers another glimpse into the town’s history. It is the last of the town’s seven former windmills. Built in 1857 to replace an older mill, it retains its complete interior structure from the time of construction. Comparing it with the brick buildings reveals two distinct craft traditions: brick-building culture on the one hand and the technology of a historic mill on the other.

Romanesque Churches and Distinctive Details

Jerichow Town Church is a late Romanesque brick building dating from the first quarter of the 13th century. Its half-timbered tower dates from the 17th century. Inside is a Renaissance memorial plaque made of marble and alabaster, dedicated to bailiff M. von Arnstedt and his wife. The building period, tower and memorial each tell a different part of the building’s history.

Further examples of Romanesque brick architecture can be found in the village churches of Großwulkow and Redekin. Großwulkow Village Church uses the same round-arched Romanesque brick style as Jerichow Monastery. Its furnishings include a Romanesque triumphal cross dating from around 1160 and an original baptismal font from the 12th century. Redekin Village Church, built around 1170, is a four-part Romanesque brick church associated with the brick-building culture around Jerichow Monastery.

Elbe Floodplain Paths and Natural Landscapes

West of Jerichow lies the 1,008-hectare Bucher Brack–Bölsdorfer Haken nature reserve, part of the cross-border Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve. Wet meadows, remnants of alluvial forest, scrub, dune ridges, waterways and pools form a diverse mosaic of landscapes. The area provides breeding, resting and feeding habitats for numerous birds, including white-tailed eagles, cranes, white and black storks, and ospreys. The species present vary by season.

A 2.5-kilometre nature trail runs through the “Alte Elbe” and “Bucher Brack” protected areas between Jerichow and Klietznick. Another option is the three-kilometre walking and cycling route across the Elbe meadows to the main Elbe channel. Jerichow is also connected to local hiking and cycling trails linked to the Elbe Cycle Route. The two routes described here differ both in length and destination.

Jerichow in the wider Jerichower Land destination

In the wider Jerichower Land destination, you can explore the district from north to south along the Elbe Cycle Route. The Elbe-Havel Cycle Route follows the canal and connects the Elbe Cycle Route with the Havel Cycle Route. This regional perspective complements Jerichow’s local routes without limiting trip planning to a single stretch.

The wider Jerichower Land destination also includes the monastery garden at Jerichow Monastery, designed after historical models, and its café, which serves regional products and homemade cake. Check the café’s opening details before visiting. A local souvenir is Jerichower Klosterklaus, a mild, savoury herbal liqueur.

Choose Your Travel Focus

Jerichow offers guided tours of the church and monastery grounds, bookable demonstrations at the Brick Museum, a nature trail and a cycling route. You can focus your accommodation search on the experiences that interest you most.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Wulkow, Roßdorf, Karow, Möckern, Elbe-Parey, Biederitz, Möser, Genthin.

For the wider travel overview: Jerichower Land.