Discover Wawern

Wawern brings together several distinct travel interests: sacred art, stone crosses, archaeological history, local festivals, and signposted hiking trails. If you are looking for a hotel in Wawern, you can plan your stay around what interests you most—for example, the artworks in St. Apollonia’s Chapel, a festival date, or time for hiking. Local attractions range from historical landmarks to customs that return throughout the year.

Art and Stone Landmarks

The central work of art in St. Apollonia’s Chapel in Wawern is an altar dedicated to the Fourteen Holy Helpers, dating from the 18th century. Its wall paintings were created by Christoph März, the “Painter Priest of Eschfeld,” between 1929 and 1931. The two art forms therefore date from different periods: the altar belongs to the 18th century, while the paintings were created in the early 20th century. This contrast in dates is a distinctive feature of the local art history.

The sandstone cross on the main road is a late Baroque shaft cross, also known as a bellflower cross, made of red sandstone. It has no inscription and dates from 1758. It belongs to the so-called Seffern type. Another monument is the wayside cross at Burgstraße 7. In the 2024 edition of the Informative Register of Cultural Monuments in the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm, it is listed as a shaft cross with the uncertain date “1797 (?)”.

Archaeology and Local Traditions

The archaeological story leads to the present-day district known as “Hirscheid,” northeast of Wawern: ten Celtic graves and a burial oven were discovered there in 1932. Finds from Wawern include well-preserved urns, glazed plates and bowls, as well as pieces of jewelry, fibulae, and brooches. They are now on display at the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Trier. The findspot and the present-day exhibition venue are two separate stages in this history. If you plan to visit the museum, check its visitor information separately.

Local customs offer another way to experience the year. The traditional Kirmes festival has taken place every year since the 1960s on the weekend after August 18. On April 30, the volunteer fire brigade raises the maypole, and children decorate its crown. On Shrove Saturday, KV Legendär organizes a carnival parade in Wawern, one of the local customs that returns every year. The Kirmes, maypole, and parade each have their own character. If you would like to plan your trip around one of these festivals, check the current event dates in advance.

Hiking Trails and Regional Themes

Hikes offer a different focus from festivals tied to specific dates. Two hiking trails, numbered 7 and 8, are signposted in Wawern. The numbers help distinguish the trails; check the signs before setting out, as they may change.

Elsewhere in the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm, you will find other independent destinations with different themes. The Mühlenberger Stollen Bleialf visitor mine features a mining trail with numerous information boards about the area’s mining history, as well as one-hour guided tours through the mine. The tours cover ore mining in Bleialf, from geology to practical technology; the trail focuses on its information boards. As seasonal operating information applies, check the schedule before your visit. In Waxweiler, the Devonium presents complex aspects of paleontology and the science of fossil life in a playful way. The Westwall Museum is housed across three accessible levels of a bunker and presents a military history exhibition in underground tunnels and rooms. The Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm therefore offers mining, paleontology, and military history as distinct topics alongside Wawern’s local history.

Discover more destinations: Röhl, Sinspelt, Übereisenbach, Schwirzheim, Auw bei Prüm, Rommersheim, Niederweis, Arzfeld.

For the broader travel overview: Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm.