The town of Ellrich and its six districts are located directly on the Green Belt, which has been designated a National Natural Monument in Thuringia, in the Südharz Nature Park. This area in the Harz Mountains has been settled for a long time - Ellrich was first mentioned in a document in 876 and has been a town since 1292. The Zorge, the town wall with the Werna Gate, the historic town center with the striking St. John's Church on the market square and the town forest characterize the townscape in the former border region. The oldest half-timbered ensemble is the Hospital St. Spiritus from 1127, which is also home to the Ellrich local history museum. In the small church right next door, which was first mentioned in 1506 and is only 13 meters long, couples can get married in a civil ceremony. The fire department museum in the historic fire station houses treasures such as a fire engine from 1965 and provides interesting insights into the tradition of fire protection. Both museums are run by volunteers and open seasonally. The former satellite camp of the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp, Ellrich-Juliushütte, is now commemorated by a memorial. Ellrich is embedded in the unique karst landscape of the southern Harz and the Harz forests. Hikers will find here, for example, the Karst hiking trail, which has been awarded quality hiking trail status, and cyclists will find the Harz circular trail and the Harz mountain bike arena. The Ellrich forest pool is a refreshing destination in summer.