Discover Seffern

Seffern lies in the valleys of the Nims and the Balesfelderbach. The 492-hectare municipal area ranges from 360 to 500 metres above sea level; around 270 hectares are wooded, accounting for more than half of the area. The woodland and elevation range complement the valley setting with two other defining landscape features. Historic landmarks in the village include St. Laurentius Parish Church, the Nims Bridge and the Way of the Cross.

Traces from several eras

Traces of a Roman villa dating from around 200 to 375 AD were found near the Berghöfe in 1951. Seffern is first mentioned indirectly in 777; the name “Seferne” appears in 893. For more than 1,000 years, the village belonged to the territorial rulers of Prüm, until the French period. Seffern also served as the administrative centre of the Schultheißerei of Prüm Abbey. The Roman traces date back further than the earliest records of the name; the long territorial affiliation and administrative role add a further political dimension.

Church, Nims Bridge and Buntsandstein sandstone

The building history of St. Laurentius Parish Church can be traced across several centuries. A church dating from the 16th century, with an 11th-century tower, was replaced in 1852/54 by a new Romanesque Revival building. The new building was designed by Peter Josef Julius Wolff, district master builder of Bitburg. The pews, baptismal font and gallery have survived from the first construction phase. The choir contains a mural created by Diernhöfer in 1957, depicting Christ as the giver of the Eucharistic gifts.

The Nims Bridge is a three-arched sandstone bridge with a wayside cross set into its parapet. A stone statue of St. John of Nepomuk, patron saint of bridges, adorns its centre. It is one of the few surviving Baroque bridges in Rhineland-Palatinate. Many public and private buildings in Seffern are characterised by locally sourced Buntsandstein sandstone.

Way of the Cross and the Nims Valley

The Bitburger LandGang Way of the Cross loop can be started at the church in Seffern or at the church in Sefferweich. Check locally before your trip to confirm the available starting point. Near the final chapel, you can enjoy panoramic views across the Nims Valley; the return route follows the Nims through the woods. The route also includes crosses made from sandstone quarried in the region. Open views and a wooded stretch of trail sit side by side. The Way of the Cross, with its chapel, from Seffern to Sefferweich dates from the second half of the 18th century and is protected as an individual cultural monument under Section 8 of the Rhineland-Palatinate Monument Protection Act.

In the wider travel destination of Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm

The Mühlenberger Stollen Bleialf visitor mine features a mining trail with numerous information panels on the area's mining history. The Devonium in Waxweiler presents complex aspects of palaeontology and the science of fossil life in an interactive way. These two themes complement Seffern's local history with mining and geological history at the level of the Eifelkreis.

Discover more destinations: Prüm, Seiwerath, Winterspelt, Waxweiler, Wawern, Euscheid, Prümzurlay, Irrhausen

View the wider travel overview: Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm.