Jerichow: Monastery, Brick and Paths along the Elbe

Jerichow combines significant brick architecture with museums, village churches and paths through the Elbe landscape. Visitors planning a stay will find a range of ways to spend the day: exploring the history of the monastery and brickmaking, visiting historic churches and mills, or following paths between Jerichow, Klietznick and the Elbe.

Monastery and the History of Brickmaking

Jerichow Monastery is a former Premonstratensian foundation and an important Romanesque monument. The complex includes restored cloister rooms, the cloister and a historical exhibition in the dormitory. The monastery is on the Romanesque Road and is considered the oldest brick building in northern Germany. Its construction history also provides a starting point for a visit to the Brick Museum, which explores the origins, history and regional spread of brick in the Elbe region.

The Brick Museum offers bookable demonstrations of brickmaking. Visitors shape a new brick from clay and make a miniature brick themselves. The Monastery Museum offers guided tours of the church and monastery complex; brickmaking can also be demonstrated there for interested travel groups. If you plan to attend a demonstration or guided tour, check availability in advance.

Mills and Churches in Town

The Jerichow Dutch windmill is the last of the town's seven former windmills. It was built in 1857 to replace an older mill. Its interior structure from the 1857 conversion has been fully preserved. Jerichow Town Church reveals a different phase of construction: the late Romanesque brick building dates from the first quarter of the 13th century, while its half-timbered tower was added in the 17th century. Inside is a Renaissance epitaph of marble and alabaster for Amtmann M. von Arnstedt and his wife.

The village churches also add their own historical highlights. Großwulkow Village Church displays the same round-arched Romanesque brick style as Jerichow Monastery. Its furnishings include a Romanesque triumphal cross from around 1160 and an original Romanesque baptismal font from the 12th century. Built around 1170, Redekin Village Church is a four-part Romanesque brick church associated with the brick-building culture around Jerichow Monastery.

Jerichower Klosterklaus, a mild and spicy herbal liqueur, is offered as a regional souvenir. This local product adds another point of interest alongside the architecture and museum themes, without shifting the focus of a stay away from the historic buildings.

Paths and Landscape along the Elbe

The protected areas “Alte Elbe” and “Bucher Brack” offer a 2.5-kilometre nature trail between Jerichow and Klietznick. A 3-kilometre walking and cycling path runs through the Elbe meadows to the main channel of the Elbe. Jerichow is also connected to local hiking and cycling routes that are part of the Elbe Cycle Route. The two routes mentioned differ in both length and described course: the nature trail connects Jerichow and Klietznick, while the walking and cycling path leads to the main channel of the Elbe.

The Bucher Brack–Bölsdorfer Haken nature reserve lies west of Jerichow. It covers 1,008 hectares and is part of the transboundary Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve. The area comprises a mosaic of wet meadows, remnants of floodplain forest, scrub, dune ridges, canals and ponds. It provides breeding, resting and feeding habitat for a wide variety of bird species, including white-tailed eagles, cranes, white and black storks, and ospreys. Which species can be observed varies with the season.

The Jerichower Land as a Regional Extension

Beyond Jerichow, the Jerichower Land offers its own regional perspective. The district can be explored from north to south along the Elbe Cycle Route. The Elbe-Havel Cycle Route follows the canal through the nature-rich Jerichower Land and connects the Elbe Cycle Route with the Havel Cycle Route. These routes cover the wider district; the local paths around Jerichow remain distinct options.

The historic sites of the Jerichower Land also offer a different focus from Jerichow's brick buildings. The Historic Tannery in Burg is a fully preserved technical monument that offers insights into leather production. The Berlin Gate Tower dates from the second town wall, built around 1400, and is one of the last of around 30 former defensive and watchtowers. Burg is also home to the Witch Tower, preserved from the 11th-century fortifications.

Discover more destinations: Roßdorf, Wulkow, Karow, Möser, Biederitz, Genthin, Burg bei Magdeburg, Gommern.

Back to the regional travel overview: Jerichower Land.