Discover Elleben
Accommodation in Elleben
If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Elleben, you can distinguish nearby architectural history from wider destinations in the Ilm district. Nearby is St. Gangolf Church in Gügleben, a separate locality. The trails and cultural sites spread across the Ilm district are in various named locations. When choosing where to stay, it therefore matters which specific destinations you want to include in your travel plans.
St. Gangolf Church in Gügleben
The nearby St. Gangolf Church is a hall church with a three-sided choir. It was built from fieldstones and completed in 1697. Notable details include several pointed-arch windows dating from the 15th century and an altarpiece from the same period, which was painted over in the 19th century. The tracery baptismal font was made around 1500. The ceiling is designed as a double-broken timber barrel vault. A tower extension in Neo-Gothic forms was added in 1874. Taken together, these details paint a multifaceted picture of the church’s architecture: the building, windows, interior furnishings and later extension each make their own contribution.
Nearby, the 14-kilometre museum circular trail in the Hohenfelden Reservoir leisure region follows scenic routes to the Thuringian Open-Air Museum in Hohenfelden and the Riechheimer Berg Flora-Fauna Habitat. The route links two different destinations: an open-air museum and a natural area. In 2025, numerous events enriched community life in the three districts. These included cinema events at churches and concerts organised by the association supporting the preservation of St. Gangolf Church in Gügleben.
Hiking Trails in the Ilm District
Hiking trails in the Ilm district vary in both length and theme. The two-kilometre Kleinbreitenbach Art Trail passes works of art that adorn the Romanesque fortified church, the cemetery, the church forecourt, the village and the path at the edge of the village. The 21-kilometre Mushroom Trail covers a different scale: it leads from Gehren via the Langer Berg to the European Mushroom Park in Gillersdorf, then continues through the Reicheltal valley to Neustadt am Rennsteig. Visitors can choose between a shorter route focused on art in the village and a longer trail with several named stops.
Another themed trail in the Ilm district is the approximately 6.5-kilometre Climate Trail in Geraberg. It is laid out as an educational trail with more than 20 information panels. The Dwarf Trail in Frauenwald is also appealing to families with children: the four-kilometre route is designed for children and starts and ends at the Frauenwald Tourist Information Centre.
Scenery and Cycling Routes in the Ilm District
With elevations of over 900 metres, the Rennsteig region in the Ilm district is one of the high-altitude areas of the Thuringian Forest; the Rennsteig high-altitude hiking trail shapes the character of the region. Langer Berg is an 808-metre-high ridge in the northern Thuringian Forest, seven kilometres long and about two kilometres wide. It forms the watershed between the Ilm to the west and the Saale to the east. From the 861-metre-high Kickelhahn, the local mountain of Ilmenau, views extend as far as the Harz Mountains on a clear day. The varied elevations and landscapes provide hikers with concrete points of reference for planning in the region.
There are also several options for cycling tours. The 123-kilometre Ilmtal Cycle Route, certified with four stars, runs for 45 kilometres through the Ilm district. The Ilm-Rennsteig Cycle Route follows a former railway line from Ilmenau to Großbreitenbach or Neustadt am Rennsteig. It connects the Ilmtal Cycle Route with the Rennsteig Cycle Route, is almost entirely paved and is signposted as a cycle street.
Cultural Sites and Regional Cuisine
Cultural destinations in the Ilm district include a variety of collections and museums. The Baroque doll town “Mon plaisir” is located in the New Palace in Arnstadt. The Thuringian Forest Creative Museum in Großbreitenbach includes the 1st German Dumpling Press Museum. Other destinations include the Bunker Museum in Frauenwald, the Rennsteig Museum in Neustadt am Rennsteig, the Thermometer Museum in Geraberg and the Dwarf Museum in Gräfenroda. Those interested in regional food culture will find Thuringian dumplings, Thuringian Rostbrätel and Thuringian Rostbratwurst listed as specialities in the Ilm district.
When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to decide on your specific destinations: the church and museum circular trail are nearby, while other hiking, cultural and cycling destinations are in various locations across the Ilm district. Choose where to stay based on which of these places and routes matter for your trip.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Bücheloh, Bösleben-Wüllersleben, Kirchheim, Großliebringen, Schmiedefeld Am Rennsteig, Ichtershausen, Friedersdorf, Möhrenbach.
Return to the main travel overview: Ilm district.
