Weekend destination From a chapel in the fields to a medieval town
MECHERNICH/BAD MÜNSTEREIFEL · An architecturally unique chapel in the middle of a field, a medieval town surrounded by an ancient wall, outlet shopping and moated castles. These are just a few reasons to take a little trip southwest of Bonn.
It’s nearly completely still. Bees are buzzing and a pair of birds are singing in the bushes, the wind blowing through the raps fields with yellow buds peeking out. Then out of nowhere comes a tall structure that from a distance looks like an overground bunker. But the light brown building is actually the Bruder-Klaus-Kappelle (Klaus Brothers Chapel) in Wachendorf, a part of the town of Mechernich. It’s a completely unexpected work of architecture to find in the Eifel. The chapel was designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor and carefully crafted with materials from the region and with the efforts of many helpers.
The field chapel can be reached in a 20-minute walk from the car park. Not far away is the medieval town of Bad Münstereifel, where there is plenty to do and see. Whether stopping by Heino’s for cake and coffee, taking a detour to the Radio Telescope in Effelsberg, visiting a moated castle or doing some outlet shopping, this is a weekend destination with many possibilities. Heino, by the way is a famous German folk singer known for his blonde hair and black sunglasses.
Getting there from Bonn: It takes around one hour to get there by car. The chapel is located in the Wachendorf part of Mechernich. There is a car park on the outskirts of the village of Wachendorf on “Iversheimer Straße” in 53894 Mechernich-Wachendorf where visitors can park. The nearest railway stations are Setvey (3.7 kilometers away) and Mechernich (10 km), with a taxi stop in Mechernich.
Near by: It’s just a short drive from Mechernich to the medieval town of Bad Münstereifel, which boasts a completely preserved city wall from the 13th / 14th century, as well as four city gates and 18 defense towers. The wall surrounds the city center, and the river Erft runs through it. It is completely under monument protection. In the pedestrian zone, a City Outlet was set up, and those shops are open from 10 am to 7 pm. Heino runs his "Café Heino" (8 am to 6 pm) in the Kurhaus in Nöthener Straße 10.
Worth a detour: The Radiotelescope Effelsberg is located 10 kilometers from the town center with a parabolic reflector measuring 100 meters in diameter. In the district of Eschweiler is a smaller one, the Astropeiler from the year 1957. It is owned by the NRW Foundation. Guided tours (German) are on Sundays from 2 pm to 6 pm.
For children: One of the most beautiful moated castles in the Rhineland is Setvey Castle from the 14th century. The castle is mainly known as an events venue. From Easter to Christmas, there are many historical theme festivals ranging from knight festivals to concerts.
Overnight tip: If you want to stay close by, you can sleep in the monastery. Opened in 2015, the Gästehaus in Kloster Steinfeld. In the monastic life, the guests immerse themselves in the meals, which they share with the nuns and the brothers.
In bad weather: If you are interested in the history of the Rhineland, the LVR-Open Air Museum in Kommern is recommended. Around 67 buildings including farms, homes, windmills, workshops, village communal houses, dance hall, restaurant and chapel from the area ofthe former Prussian Rhine Province are here and one can walk inside the historic dwellings. Work is currently being done on construction of the "Market Place Rhineland", which shows the rural-small-town life from the 1950’s to the 1980’s.
Orig. text: Dieter Brockschnieder. Translation: ckloep
