Discover Erbach: churches, wine and hiking trails

Erbach offers a distinctive mix of church architecture, hiking and connections to wine. The Protestant St. John’s Church and the Catholic parish church of St. Mark tell different architectural stories; hiking trails and the Marcobrunn vineyard add further highlights. When planning your trip, the differences in route length, walking time and seasonal wine service are also worth considering.

Church architecture and history in Erbach

The neo-Gothic St. John’s Church was built from 1861 to 1865 and is the first Protestant church in the Upper Rheingau. St. Mark’s adds an older architectural feature: the Catholic parish church was built as a three-aisled hall church towards the end of the 16th century and expanded in the 18th century. As a result, it now gives the impression of a basilica. Together, the two churches illustrate different architectural histories and denominations.

Since September 2019, visitors have been able to explore the Protestant St. John’s Church with an audio guide included in the church app. Availability may change; check the offering before your visit. Professional guides are available for tours of the church. Arrangements for these tours may also change, so it is advisable to check the current options in advance. Reinhartshausen Castle is at the edge of Erbach, in the direction of Hattenheim.

Choose hikes by distance and time

The easy hiking route “From Erbach to the Gothic wine village of Kiedrich” starts at the market square in Eltville-Erbach, leads through the vineyards to Kiedrich and is 7.1 kilometres long. The Rheinsteig hiking tour starts at the market square in Erbach. It covers 10.2 kilometres; the stated walking time is three to four hours. This means you can compare the tour not only by distance but also by its stated duration.

The Gutenberg Trail runs through Erbach and is an easy, family-oriented hiking and discovery trail. Its 26 information boards provide information; the full route is 24.1 kilometres long, and the stated walking time is six hours and 20 minutes. This is a significantly longer time commitment than the other two routes described. Route details may change; check the latest information before setting out.

Marcobrunn and Erbach wines

The Marcobrunn vineyard lies between Erbach and Hattenheim. Only “Marcobrunner,” a Riesling, is grown on its deep, calcareous, clayey marl soils. The vineyard, soil profile and grape variety give the subject of wine a specific connection to the area around Erbach.

At the Erbach wine tasting stand, different vintners take turns serving wine. On weekends when wine is served at WeinTreff Erbach, wines from various Rheingau vineyards are available. Wine service is seasonal and its schedule may change, so check the dates before your visit.

Nature and events

In the wider region around Erbach, Mariannenaue is part of the Ramsar site “Rhine between Eltville and Bingen” and is designated as an EU Special Protection Area for birds. Together with three other islands, it forms a wetland of international importance. Erbach’s traditional strawberry festival celebrates strawberries; the specific dates vary from year to year.

Culture in Eltville am Rhein

In Eltville am Rhein, the Electoral Castle is the historic landmark. It comprises the castle tower, courtyard, moat and official garden; visitors can see the museum in the tower. The viewing platform in the castle tower is reached by climbing 123 steps and offers views over Eltville, the Rheingau, Rheinhessen and as far as the Rhine-Main region.

Eltville’s rose garden adds its own distinctive touches: the profusion of blooms is especially striking in the moat and along the banks of the Rhine. The rose garden’s Japanese bed in the moat is home to unusual Japanese rose varieties. Eltville’s Catholic parish church of St. Peter and Paul is a late Gothic church, built approximately between 1350 and 1440, and houses important works of painting and sculpture. At the lower end of Leergasse, remains of Eltville’s town fortifications can still be seen; they were built after the town was granted its charter in 1332.

Choose a base that suits your planned visits, and check the latest information on hikes and seasonal wine service.

Discover more destinations: Martinsthal, Rauenthal, Hattenheim.

Return to the main travel overview: Eltville Am Rhein.