Elxleben: Baroque Church and Organ History
Accommodation in Elxleben
In Elxleben, St. Peter and Paul are key points of interest for a stay focused on Baroque architecture and organs. The church, its furnishings, and dated cultural events give the town a clearly defined cultural theme.
St. Peter and Paul: Architecture and Construction Phases
St. Peter and Paul was built between 1722 and 1725 as a Baroque hall church. The 44-meter-high west tower was added in 1777. A sundial is attached to the south side of the nave; inside, two-story galleries run around the church. Together, these features show different aspects of the building: the hall church form, the tower added later, and its exterior and interior layout. They offer various architectural details through which to explore an interest in the building’s history.
Organ and Figure of Christ
The historically valuable Volckland organ dates from 1751. It has 27 stops across two manuals and a pedal. These details shed light on the instrument from two perspectives: its date of construction and attribution place it in its historical context, while the number of stops and its layout describe its structure. Two manuals are two keyboard divisions; the pedal complements them as a division played with the feet. Those interested in organs can thus learn about specific technical features as well as the instrument’s age. Another link to the church’s history is a Romanesque figure of Christ, carved around 1200 and on display at the Thuringian Museum in Eisenach.
Guided Tours and Concerts with Specific Dates
The event dates are also tied to specific years. In the 2012 Heritage Day program, St. Peter and Paul was listed as open from 1 to 3 p.m.; an organ tour was scheduled for 2 p.m. The Elxleben program for August 2023 listed a concert by the Thuringian Organ Academy for August 28 at 6:30 p.m. A concert by the TU Ilmenau Chamber Choir, conducted by Sophia MĂĽller, was scheduled for July 13, 2025, at 4 p.m. If you are planning to visit the church interior, please check access arrangements in advance.
Other Cultural Destinations in the Ilm District
In the broader destination of the Ilm district, other places add to the cultural experience, though they are not part of Elxleben. Arnstadt is home to the Baroque doll town “Mon plaisir” in the Neues Palais. The Thuringian Forest Creative Museum in Großbreitenbach includes the 1st German Dumpling Press Museum. These destinations offer different thematic highlights: a Baroque doll town in one place, and a museum that includes the Dumpling Press Museum in another. The Bunker Museum in Frauenwald and the Rennsteig Museum in Neustadt am Rennsteig are also listed as destinations in the Ilm district. This makes it possible to distinguish a stay focused on the church in Elxleben from a broader look at cultural destinations across the Ilm district.
Hiking and Cycling Routes in the Ilm District
The routes described in the Ilm district also vary in scale and theme. The two-kilometer Kleinbreitenbach Art Trail passes works of art that adorn the Romanesque fortified church, the cemetery, the church forecourt, the village, and the road at the edge of town. The 21-kilometer Pilzsteig trail runs from Gehren via the Langen Berg to the European Mushroom Park in Gillersdorf, then continues through the Reicheltal valley to Neustadt am Rennsteig. The Goethe Hiking Trail connects landscapes of the Thuringian Forest with places where Goethe worked in Ilmenau and the surrounding area as far as StĂĽtzerbach. These descriptions bring the differences into focus: the Art Trail links art with places in the village, while the Pilzsteig offers a different thematic context through its named route and the European Mushroom Park.
For cycling, the Ilm district lists the 123-kilometer Ilmtal Cycle Route, certified with four stars; 45 kilometers of it run through the Ilm district. Alongside the hiking routes described, this provides a regional cycling route as a separate point of reference.
Discover more destinations: Gräfenroda, Großbreitenbach, Geschwenda, Geraberg, Ilmenau, Bücheloh, Möhrenbach, Elgersburg.
Go to the main travel overview: Ilm District.
