Wintrich: Passion Play, Views and Riesling

Wintrich combines a striking landmark and views over the Moselle landscape with special events in the village: a Passion Play is performed in St. Stephen’s Parish Church every five years. If you are travelling to Wintrich for an event or for a break combining wine and hiking trails, you will find practical starting points here to help plan your trip. If you are visiting for the Passion Play, check the dates and schedule for the relevant performance period.

Großer Herrgott: landmark and viewpoint

The Großer Herrgott is an 8.07-metre-high stone figure of Christ on the cross. The landmark is accessible at all times; if conditions change, it is advisable to check locally that access is available before your visit. You should also consider the Großer Herrgott as a viewpoint: from there, you can look out over Wintrich, the Moselle lock and the Moselle Valley. The site also serves as a resting place on several local hiking trails. This lets you combine views of the landscape with a break during a hike, without committing to a particular route.

Passion Play and Riesling on request

The Passion Play is performed in St. Stephen’s Parish Church every five years. More than 200 participants are actively involved during the performance period. The five-year cycle provides a useful guide, but does not replace checking the specific dates and arrangements for each performance. If the play is the deciding factor for your trip, plan around the event information.

Wine is another hands-on experience in Wintrich: tastings can be arranged on request at the small Jochen Clemens winery. The winery focuses on Riesling, particularly wines from steep slopes. Confirm a tasting in advance; opening arrangements may change.

More landscapes and activities in the Bernkastel-Wittlich destination

The wider Bernkastel-Wittlich destination offers a broader frame of reference. The volcanic Eifel, the Moselle Valley and the Hunsrück, rich in forests and meadows, meet here. The range of landscape and activity options includes the 816-metre-high Erbeskopf, which invites visitors to hike and offers a variety of winter sports. The National Park Gate at Erbeskopf provides information about nature and the environment; its interactive multimedia exhibition focuses on forests and moors.

Details about distance and format can help you choose a route. The Manderscheid Castle Trail is a moderately difficult 5.4-kilometre circular hike around the castles of Manderscheid; the stated duration is two hours. The via ferrata there includes three stages around the two castles, is about four kilometres long in total, and has safety cables along one kilometre. The Maare-Mosel Cycle Route calls for different planning: it runs for 58.5 kilometres along a disused railway line from Daun to Bernkastel-Kues. A cycle bus takes cyclists on this route from Bernkastel-Kues back to the starting point; the return journey can be booked in advance. Check the current timetable for details.

Culture, wine and the Moselle: a regional overview

Cultural offerings also vary widely across the wider Bernkastel-Wittlich destination. The pilgrimage church of Maria Heimsuchung in Klausen was consecrated in 1502; Klausen continues to attract pilgrims every year. The Cusanus Birthplace in Kues has a permanent exhibition about Nicholas of Cusa; the building is used as a museum and event space. The Noviomagi Museum in Neumagen-Dhron focuses on Roman times and displays, among other things, clay vessels and stone fragments from funerary monuments. An approximately 45-minute audio tour starts at the Neumagen-Dhron Tourist Information Centre and follows an archaeological circular route of around 800 metres past historic sites, monuments and finds.

The regional wine offering includes a vinotheque in the historic vaulted cellars of St. Nicholas Hospital. Wines from the Moselle, Saar and Ruwer are tasted there; the selection includes 100 wines, from quality wines to ice wine. For a different perspective on the Moselle, the STELLA NOVIOMAGI offers a cruise departing from Neumagen-Dhron. These regional examples complement Wintrich’s local character, but do not replace its specific local attractions: the Passion Play, the Großer Herrgott and the Riesling tasting arranged on request.

Discover more destinations: Kommen, Veldenz, Kesten, Longkamp, Minheim, Graach An Der Mosel, Lieser, Mülheim / Mosel.

Return to the wider travel overview: Bernkastel-Kues.