Bickendorf: St. Martin, Wayside Crosses and the Nimstal

Bickendorf lies in the Nimstal valley and is surrounded by a hilly landscape. Local cultural highlights include St. Martin, six wayside crosses, and the Nims Bridge north of the village. The cycle route and leisure facilities add further local attractions to these cultural highlights.

St. Martin: Neo-Gothic Church with Older Furnishings

St. Martin is a Neo-Gothic church made of red sandstone and is considered a landmark of Bickendorf. The Saarbrücken architect Wilhelm Hector built it in 1896/97. Its furnishings also reflect different periods: the stone Baroque altar wall from 1738 comes from the predecessor church and has been preserved in St. Martin. The Neo-Gothic high altar reredos was donated in 1898 by Karl Ernst Schrod. The auxiliary bishop of Trier was born in Bickendorf. Original Neo-Gothic stained-glass windows have also been preserved.

The dates place the individual elements in context: the altar wall from 1738 was followed by the church building of 1896/97 and the high altar reredos of 1898. St. Martin can therefore be viewed not only as a Neo-Gothic building, but also as a church with older furnishings and elements added later.

Wayside Crosses and the Nims Bridge

Six wayside crosses add to Bickendorf’s historic building heritage. A wayside cross dated 1623 stands at the junction of Zur Maisbach and Burgstraße. A niche cross on the old road to Ehlenz bears the same year. The Postkreuz near Nattenheimer Straße is also a niche cross and dates from 1626. These examples include several named locations and two crosses from 1623; the Postkreuz is dated 1626.

The Nims Bridge lies north of Bickendorf. This single-arch bridge made of red sandstone was built in 1920. The church and bridge share the specified building material, but differ considerably in form and function. Together with the wayside crosses, they provide a chronological overview of different structures and furnishings, from the 17th-century crosses through the church elements of the 18th and 19th centuries to the bridge of 1920.

Cycle Route, Leisure Facilities and Getting There

The Nimstal Cycle Route runs through the Bickendorf area. The village’s leisure facilities include a barbecue hut and fishing waters. This means different interests can be taken into account when planning a trip: the cycle route offers a specific route, while the barbecue hut and fishing waters are local leisure facilities. If you are weighing up cultural attractions and other leisure activities, these details can help inform your choice of destination.

Bickendorf is connected to the regional public transport network via the L 5 between Bitburg and Prüm. If you are travelling by public transport, it is best to check the connections that suit your travel date.

Cultural Highlights in the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm

The wider destination of Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm offers further distinct cultural highlights. The Devonium in Waxweiler presents complex concepts in palaeontology and the science of fossil life in an engaging way. The Mühlenberger Stollen Bleialf visitor mine includes a mining trail with numerous information boards about the area’s mining history. The Westwall Museum is housed on three accessible levels of a bunker; a military history exhibition is displayed in its underground corridors and rooms. The water castle in Rittersdorf, around 700 years old, has been preserved almost unchanged since it was built and offers a vivid impression of late medieval and modern Renaissance domestic culture.

Discover more destinations: Nattenheim, Fließem, Oberweis, Halsdorf, Dudeldorf, Ehlenz, Stahl, Oberweiler

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Bitburg.