Windehausen: Village Center and St. Ägidien Church
Accommodation in Windehausen
A clearly structured village center
The tall tower of St. Ägidien Church is visible from far away and forms a prominent architectural feature in Windehausen’s historic village landscape. At the same time, the village center is clearly shaped by the square: the houses face it with their gabled ends, with grass and vegetable gardens behind them. The square, gabled façades and gardens give the village a tangible layout, making it easy to picture its different areas.
The location of other landmarks also contributes to this picture. From one side of the square, the Anger leads to the cathedral; on the other side, the church stands a little farther away. The village layout can thus be understood through its spatial relationships, rather than by simply listing individual buildings. If you are choosing a holiday apartment and want to consider the character of your destination as well as your accommodation, Windehausen offers specific points of reference: a defined village center, houses facing the square and gardens behind them.
Church and local history
Windehausen was first mentioned in a document in 1158, in the Nordhausen tithe register. This date places the village’s history in the 12th century. Further dates are associated with St. Ägidien Church: the choir most likely dates from the 13th century and is the oldest part of the church. This dating is a probable assessment, while also identifying the oldest part of the building.
The church also houses a Pietà carved from limewood in the mid-15th century, also called Pomai Bog. Two different periods are thus central to the church’s heritage: the choir, which probably dates from the 13th century, and the later wood carving. Together with the tower visible from far away, they offer a cultural and historical perspective that encompasses both the building’s architecture and a specific work of art.
Further historical and active perspectives in Heringen/Helme
Within the wider destination of Heringen/Helme, Heringen offers its own cultural and historical highlight. The Old Castle in Heringen was built after 1320 and is among the earliest castle buildings in Thuringia. After 1568, the Counts of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt had the Old Castle remodeled in the Renaissance style. The complex was expanded with the four-story west wing, “Schwarzburger House, the New Castle.” In Windehausen, the village center and church shape the townscape; in Heringen, the castle and its Renaissance remodeling take center stage.
Heringen also offers a specific option for planning an active outing: the Nordic Walking Park has a 2.50 km blue-marked route and a 4.25 km red-marked route. Both routes start and finish at the well-signposted hiking car park on Eichentalsweg in Heringen. Their lengths and markings can be compared directly, and their shared starting and ending point provides clear orientation. The two routes are in Heringen, within the wider destination of Heringen/Helme, and offer a different perspective from Windehausen’s village layout and architectural history.
Discover more destinations
Hainrode/Hainleite, Hesserode, Bleicherode, Nordhausen, Wolkramshausen, Auleben, Harzungen, Sülzhayn
Back to the overview of the wider destination: Nordhausen.
