Ellingshausen: Architectural History and Bakuninhütte

Ellingshausen can be explored through its architectural history and distinctive historic sites. The castle, church and castle wall represent different facets of architecture; the Bakuninhütte combines its own building history with opportunities to visit by arrangement. If you are planning a stay, these themes offer different ways to make the most of your time in the area.

Castle, Church and Historic Architectural Styles

Ellingshausen Castle is a three-storey stone-rendered building dating from 1605. Ellingshausen Church was built in 1775 to replace an older church. From the outside, it is designed as a simple, single-nave hall with a rectangular choir. 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-colored Rococo-style carvings stand out against wood stained in light or dark tones. The simple exterior is thus set against a carefully coordinated interior.

The castle’s surrounding wall also tells the story of historic defensive architecture. It is largely preserved; particularly from the southern neck ditch and from the west, it conveys an impressive sense of medieval fortification. As the condition of the structure may change, check the current situation if you are planning a specific visit.

Bakuninhütte: History and Visits

The Bakuninhütte is located on the Hohe Maas in the Ellingshausen district. It was built as a wooden hut in the 1920s and later converted into a stone house. Its history can be told in two building phases connected to its location: the original wooden hut was followed by its conversion into a stone house.

Different conditions apply to visiting the grounds and the building: the club grounds can be entered at any time, but the hut itself is usually locked. It is possible to look inside the hut by arrangement with the club. The Bakuninhütte hiking club offers guided hikes to or around the hut on request. If you would like to see the interior or take part in a guided hike, arrange your visit with the club in advance; conditions may change.

The route also provides specific guidance: a farm track leads directly to Ellingshausen and then on to Einhausen. There, the Haseltal Cycle Route and the Werratal Cycle Route meet. Ellingshausen and Einhausen are therefore stops along the route described; the two cycle routes meet in Einhausen.

More topics in the wider destination of Schmalkalden-Meiningen

The wider destination of Schmalkalden-Meiningen offers more cultural attractions. At the Viba Nougat World in Schmalkalden, visitors can experience nougat production in a glass-walled manufactory. Hands-on confectionery courses provide an additional insight: participants pour chocolate, decorate nougat and create pralines. If you are considering a course, check the current dates and booking conditions.

The “Neue Hütte” blast furnace museum in Schmalkalden offers a different focus. The blast furnace facility, built in 1835, processed local iron ores into pig iron using charcoal until 1924. The exhibition covers almost 1,300 years of the development of iron and steel goods production in the Schmalkalden region, including the well-known “Schmalkalder Artikel” (Schmalkalden products). A 45-minute guided tour explores the history and function of the blast furnace operation. The facility’s specific operating period and the longer history of regional production thus represent two different historical time scales.

Nature and outdoor activities are also among the attractions in the wider destination of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. The Breitunger Seen Nature Reserve has a 3.5-kilometre hiking trail with seating areas. The Trusetal Waterfall plunges 60 metres over a granite formation in three cascades; visitors can climb 228 steps beside the waterfall. These examples offer clearly different types of activity: the trail through the nature reserve has a specified length and seating areas, while the waterfall is defined by its cascades and drop.

Discover more destinations: Vachdorf, Schwarza, Unterkatz, Henneberg, Viernau, Birx, Kaltensundheim, Christes.

Return to the wider travel overview: Schmalkalden-Meiningen.