Elfershausen: Castle, Saale and Building History

Castle, Bridge and Church Tower

Erthal Castle consists of two parts: the pavilion, which served as a residence, and the agricultural building, which served as an outbuilding. Christoph Heinrich von Erthal had the pavilion rebuilt in 1562. The two-storey Baroque building has a raised ground floor and a mansard roof. The two parts therefore differ both in function and in architectural form. The year and specific architectural features help identify the pavilion more precisely.

Another point of historical interest is the stone arch bridge over the Franconian Saale, which dates from the 13th century. The tower of the parish church of the Assumption of Mary has three storeys and dates from the early 14th century. The dates offer a clear comparison: the 13th-century bridge is followed by the church tower from the early 14th century and, later, the pavilion built in 1562. Anyone interested in architectural history can find several distinct periods represented by specific buildings in the town.

An Annual Festival

The Market and Local Heritage Festival takes place every year in the castle grounds around the Feast of the Assumption of Mary on 15 August. This fixed date is a recurring point of reference for planning a trip; the specific programme may change. If you’d like to plan your stay around the festival, check the event details in advance.

Other Historic Places in the Municipality

Langendorf and Machtilshausen also offer their own cultural points of interest. The origins of St Vitus Church in Langendorf date back to 1025. A foundation stone outside, to the right of the main entrance, commemorates this year. In Machtilshausen, the Schreinersch House is a late Gothic half-timbered building dating from 1488. It is considered one of the oldest farmhouses in Bavaria. Compared with the pavilion at Erthal Castle, these dates show how far apart the documented construction periods are across the municipality.

Hiking and Cycling Routes in the Municipality

In Machtilshausen, the local lime kilns are the centrepiece of the KALK + KULTOUR hikes. The route offers views and runs alongside vineyards and through forests. The hike therefore focuses both on the lime kilns and on the landscape along the way. This is a different focus from the buildings in Elfershausen: here, a specific craft tradition is paired with views, vineyards and woodland.

Mountain bike routes pass through parts of the municipalities of Elfershausen, Aura, Euerdorf, Ramsthal and Sulzthal. Routes in the Elfershausen municipality have corresponding trail markers. Check the route details before setting off; trail markers may change. This information refers to the municipality, not only to the town of Elfershausen.

Fishing on the Franconian Saale

Fishing permits for the Franconian Saale are available at Hotel Ullrich, August-Ullrich-Str. 40, 97725 Elfershausen, Tel. 09704/913 00. Before you arrive, check whether permits are currently available. Fishing is another specific connection to the Franconian Saale, alongside the historic arch bridge over the river.

Choose a Search Location That Suits Your Plans

When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to distinguish between the different locations: the castle, bridge and festival are in Elfershausen, while the lime kilns and KALK + KULTOUR hikes are associated with Machtilshausen. If you’re primarily interested in the town’s architectural history, you can focus your search on that. If you’d also like to explore the hiking landscape, include Machtilshausen as an additional location in your plans.

Discover more destinations: Bad Kissingen, Riedenberg, Schondra, Thundorf in Unterfranken, Bad Brückenau, Geroda, Fuchsstadt, Hammelburg.

Go to the main travel overview: Bad Kissingen.