Discover Elxleben
Accommodation in Elxleben
A special reason to discover Elxleben is the Church of St. Peter and Paul. Built between 1722 and 1725, this Baroque building combines striking architectural details with a historic organ and a long history of design. Anyone interested in church architecture, organs or historical art while travelling will find a particular focus for their stay here. The individual features offer different points of interest: the tower reflects the building’s history, the sundial is part of the nave, and the organ combines a precise construction date with remarkable features.
Tower, nave and sundial
St. Peter and Paul is a Baroque hall church. The 44-metre-high west tower was added in 1777, after the church was built between 1722 and 1725. A sundial is mounted on the south side of the nave.
The Volckland organ and the church interior
Inside, St. Peter and Paul has two-storey galleries running around the church. Another prominent feature is the historically valuable Volckland organ, dating from 1751. It has 27 stops across two manuals and a pedal. The manuals are played with the hands and the pedal with the feet; the stops are part of the organ’s sound design. For those interested in organs, these specific details offer a distinct way to explore the church: alongside the historic building itself, the focus is on an instrument with precisely described features. The architecture and organ can thus be viewed as different, yet complementary, aspects of a visit to St. Peter and Paul.
The history of individual works of art also extends beyond the church interior. A Romanesque figure of Christ, carved around 1200 and originating from St. Peter and Paul, is on display at the Thuringian Museum in Eisenach. It differs markedly from the Baroque church in both age and style. Those primarily interested in church architecture can focus on the hall, tower and organ; those wishing to see the older figure of Christ will find it in the museum. When planning your trip, you can therefore decide whether to focus on the church itself or include the work of art as well, without treating the two exhibition or visitor locations as one and the same.
Historical events and choosing where to stay
Past programme listings include a range of musical and historical events. For Heritage Day 2012, the church was listed as open from 1 to 3 p.m., with an organ tour included in the programme at 2 p.m. The Elxleben programme for August 2023 listed a concert by the Thuringian Organ Academy on 28 August at 6:30 p.m. A concert by the TU Ilmenau Chamber Choir, conducted by Sophia Müller, was listed there for 13 July 2025 at 4 p.m. Another reported programme also included a historical guided tour of Elxleben on a Saturday at 6 p.m., meeting in the car park in front of the municipal office. Each of these dates refers to a specific past programme; they are not information about a future events calendar.
If St. Peter and Paul is the reason for your trip, you can consider Elxleben as a place to search for a holiday apartment. The choice depends on your own travel plans: should the church be the cultural focus, or would you like to combine your stay with a visit to the figure of Christ at the Thuringian Museum in Eisenach? The sights described here give you a specific starting point for making that decision, without making any assumptions about the facilities or location of individual accommodations.
You can also visit the pages for Bösleben-Wüllersleben, Großbreitenbach, Langewiesen, Neustadt Am Rennsteig, Geraberg, Schmiedefeld Am Rennsteig, Ichtershausen and Gräfenroda.
For the broader travel overview: Ilm-Kreis.
