Discover Ellrich: Churches, Karst Trails and History

Ellrich offers a range of ways to explore: printing crafts at the town museum, churches and historic ensembles, as well as trails through the gypsum karst landscape. Shape your stay around what interests you most—places of cultural and historical significance, nature, or a combination of both. This allows you to discover Ellrich from different perspectives.

Printing Crafts and Churches

At the printing workshop in the Ellrich Town Museum, you can experience a traditional craft process. On request, the printing press can be started up so visitors can print a small personal keepsake. If this activity is important to you, ask about it: the press is started on request.

The St. Spiritus hospital complex includes the hospital church. It houses a late Gothic altar of the Virgin Mary dating from the 15th century. Another historic landmark is the Church of Our Lady on Ellrich’s Marienberg, which was first mentioned in 876. The dates highlight different aspects: one site is notable for an early written mention, while the other is centred around a late Gothic altar. Both places offer plenty to explore from a cultural and historical perspective.

Local History in a Historic Ensemble

The Fire Brigade Museum is located in the centre of Ellrich and was officially opened on 9 September 2001, the day of the Open Monument Day. From the market square, follow Ravenstraße to the Brauhof. Together with Ravensturm and Spritzenhaus, the Brauhof forms a historic ensemble; it was renovated in autumn 2000. These named places and their history provide concrete points of reference as you explore the town centre.

Nature Trail and Karst Landscape

In the nearby town forest, an educational nature trail with clearly laid-out information boards introduces visitors to local fauna and flora. Circular Route 12 offers a different focus: it follows the signposted Karst Hiking Trail almost throughout, between Ellrich and Walkenried, and leads through the gypsum karst landscape in the Himmelreich Nature Reserve. The nature trail focuses on local wildlife and plants, while the karst landscape and route shape the experience on Circular Route 12.

The Karst Hiking Trail also leads from Ellrich railway station to Juliushütte. The site of former gypsum factories and a former subcamp of a concentration camp is now a memorial. Here, the landscape and a place of remembrance meet along the route. If you wish to include this part of history in your travel plans, you can make it a distinct focus alongside nature watching and Ellrich’s churches.

More Perspectives in the Wider Nordhausen Destination

The wider Nordhausen destination also provides a regional perspective on the Karst Hiking Trail: in the district of Nordhausen, it runs 56 kilometres from east to west. On a broader scale, it opens up the South Harz gypsum karst landscape from Lower Saxony through northern Thuringia to Saxony-Anhalt. This information complements the view of the route between Ellrich and Walkenried with its course through the district and the wider landscape.

The Harz Narrow Gauge Railway offers another way to get your bearings in the region. It connects Wernigerode in the northern Harz with Nordhausen in the southern Harz foothills. In Nordhausen, the “From Grain to Spirit” tour at the Echter Nordhäuser traditional distillery takes visitors through the historic ensemble and includes a tasting of the distillery’s own premium spirits and liqueurs. Tour availability depends on the date; check the available dates if you are interested.

The wider Nordhausen destination also includes the Burggasthof Hohnstein in Harztor OT Neustadt. Set amid the historic Hohnstein Castle ruins, it serves upscale traditional German cuisine and regional specialities. From the terrace, views stretch across Neustadt and the South Harz. Before your trip, check whether the restaurant is open.

Choose the Right Focus for Your Trip

When searching for accommodation in Ellrich, you can start by deciding what kind of trip you want: would you like to focus on churches, the museum and architectural history, or include the nature trail and karst landscape?

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Neustadt/Harz, Niedergebra, Wolkramshausen, Niedersachswerfen, Auleben, Bleicherode, Windehausen, Hamma

Return to the overview of the wider destination: Nordhausen.