Ellingshausen: Castle, Church and Bakunin Hut

Discover Ellingshausen through its varied architectural history and a specific offering from a local association. The castle, church and Bakunin Hut each provide a different historical perspective; guided hikes are also available on request. During your visit, you can focus on architecture, interior furnishings or a guided hike.

Castle and ring wall

Ellingshausen Castle is a three-storey stone building with rendered walls, built in 1605. Most of the castle’s ring wall has been preserved. It makes a particularly impressive impression from the southern neck ditch and from the west, conveying the sense of a medieval fortress.

The church: simple form, decorated interior

Ellingshausen Church was built in 1775 to replace an older church. It is a single-nave hall with a rectangular choir, simple in appearance on the outside. “Single-nave” describes a main space rather than several church naves; the rectangular choir adds a clearly defined area to the building’s design. Inside, the altar area with choir screens and a pulpit altar, the gallery fronts and the side panels of the pews are decorated in a consistent style. Light-coloured woodcarving in the Rococo style stands out against wood stained light or dark. The understated exterior and uniformly designed interior furnishings thus complement one another.

Bakunin Hut: history and visitor information

The Bakunin Hut on the Hohe Maas in the Ellingshausen district was built as a wooden hut in the 1920s and later converted into a stone house. When planning a visit, it is important to distinguish between the grounds and the interior: the association’s property can be entered at any time, but the hut itself is usually locked. It is possible to look inside by arrangement with the association. The Bakunin Hut hiking association also offers guided hikes to or around the hut on request. If you are planning to look inside or take a guided hike, arrange your visit with the association in advance.

Routes to and beyond Ellingshausen

A farm road leads directly to Ellingshausen and then on to Einhausen. There, the Haseltal Cycle Path and the Werratal Cycle Path meet. For orientation, it is helpful to distinguish between the route and the meeting point: the route goes to Ellingshausen and continues onward; the two cycle paths meet in Einhausen.

More to explore in the wider Schmalkalden-Meiningen destination

The wider Schmalkalden-Meiningen destination offers other experiences too. In Schmalkalden, you can see nougat being made at the Viba Nougat World’s glass-fronted workshop. Hands-on confectionery courses include pouring chocolate, decorating nougat and creating pralines; check course times and booking conditions in advance. For a technical contrast, visit the “Neue Hütte” blast furnace museum in Schmalkalden: from 1835 until 1924, the blast furnace smelted locally mined iron ore into pig iron using charcoal. The museum covers nearly 1,300 years of iron and steel goods production in the region, including the “Schmalkalder Artikel” (Schmalkalden products); a 45-minute guided tour explores the history and operation of the blast furnace.

The landscapes of the Prachtregion are another regional option: the Thuringian Forest, Rhön, Werra Valley and Grabfeld invite you to enjoy active hikes and relaxing family walks.

Discover more destinations: Oberhof, Kleinschmalkalden, Henneberg, Unterkatz, Zella-Mehlis, Unterschönau, Rhönblick, Friedelshausen

Back to the wider travel overview: Schmalkalden-Meiningen.