Erbach: Discover Churches, Vineyards and Hiking Trails

Erbach combines impressive churches, traditional vineyards and a variety of hiking experiences. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday house for their stay can therefore discover the town according to different interests: insights into cultural history, viticulture and paths through the countryside stand side by side on an equal footing.

Churches with a special history

The neo-Gothic Church of St. John was built from 1861 to 1865. It is therefore considered the first Protestant church in the Upper Rheingau. Since September 2019, it has been possible to explore it with an audio guide included in a church app. Professional guides are also available for tours of the Church of St. John. This allows you to learn about the church either independently or as part of a guided tour.

The Catholic parish church of St. Mark offers a different architectural impression. It was built towards the end of the 16th century as a three-aisled hall church and extended in the 18th century. This extension gives it the appearance of a basilica today. Together with the Church of St. John, it creates a varied focus on cultural history for a stay in Erbach.

Viticulture and regional specialities

The Marcobrunn vineyard is located between Erbach and Hattenheim. Only “Marcobrunner”, a Riesling, is cultivated there on deep, calcareous and clayey marl soils. Anyone interested in the connection between the landscape and viticulture will find a specific example of the Rheingau’s distinctive character here.

The wine experiences in the town also offer different points of interest. At the Erbach wine-tasting stand, various winegrowers take turns serving their wines. At WeinTreff Erbach, wines from different vineyards in the Rheingau are offered on the weekends when wine is being served there. The regional events calendar also includes the traditional strawberry festival in Erbach, a festival centred around strawberries.

The estate wines of Weingut Schloss Reinhartshausen are sourced exclusively from the winery’s own officially classified vineyards in Erbach, Hattenheim and Kiedrich. Schloss Reinhartshausen itself is located at the exit of Erbach towards Hattenheim and adds another prominent place in the surrounding area to the wine perspective.

Hiking trails for different day plans

For a shorter route, the easy hiking trail “From Erbach to the Gothic wine village of Kiedrich” is a good choice. It starts at the market square in Eltville-Erbach, leads through the vineyards to Kiedrich and is 7.1 km long. The Rheinsteig hiking tour also starts at the market square in Erbach and covers 10.2 km; the walking time is 3 to 4 hours.

The Gutenberg Trail is an easy-to-walk, family-oriented hiking and adventure trail that runs through Erbach. It provides information about its topics on 26 panels; the route is 24.1 km long, and the stated walking time is 6 hours and 20 minutes. When planning your day, you should therefore consider not only the name of the trail but also its length and walking time. In the wider regional area, Mariannenaue forms part of the “Rhine between Eltville and Bingen” Ramsar site and is designated as an EU bird protection area. Together with three other islands, it forms a wetland of international importance there.

Choosing the right accommodation focus

When looking for accommodation in Erbach, you can first decide which experiences should define your stay. For days focused on culture, the Church of St. John and St. Mark are the main attractions, while vineyards, the wine-tasting stand and WeinTreff provide different highlights. Those who enjoy being active can compare the routes by length, walking time and trail character. This allows you to match a holiday apartment in Erbach specifically to your own ideas of culture, wine and activity.

For further travel planning, you can also visit the pages on Hattenheim, Martinsthal and Rauenthal.

For the overarching travel overview: Eltville Am Rhein.