Anyone sitting under the old chestnut tree and the fragrant lime trees in the historic beer garden of the Ellerhof with an after-work beer and salad with home-smoked venison ham will not want to leave in a hurry. The view from the natural viewing balcony high up on the Ell far above Merzig - all the way into the Saar valley - is just too marvellous. For more than 110 years, this romantic terrace has been the summer centrepiece of the rural restaurant in the countryside.
The highlights of Andreas Kranz's fine country house cuisine are his refined foods. The trained chef succeeds in combining tradition with new insights.
A small herd of Heidschnucken sheep has been grazing on the natural meadows around the Ellerhof since the 1980s. Roast lamb rump steaks or juicy roast lamb are among the house specialities from autumn to spring. The ewes are allowed to graze on the estate. One of the Ellerhof dynasty has always been a hunter. Andreas Kranz, the current fourth-generation landlord, also has his own hunting ground on the Ell. In season, the menu includes succulent, short-roasted venison rump steaks or delicious wild boar ragout.
Three modern and comfortable flats (one of which is barrier-free, as is the entire Ellerhof) also attract holiday guests to the mountain. Hiking to Freund's wolf enclosure, strolling through the botanical garden of the senses or shopping in the cities - the location at the crossroads of Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate, Lorraine and Luxembourg invites you to cross-border excursions
