Bermel: Landscape and Local History

The landscape of the municipality of Bermel is shaped by the Elz Valley and the 570 m-high Hochbermel. The surrounding area also includes nature reserves; the Roman settlement site and the parish church of St. Dionysius provide further historical points of interest.

Landscape and Nature Reserves

The Hochbermel Nature Reserve lies southeast of Bermel. It covers around 65.7 hectares and was designated in 2001. To the west of Bermel, the Kleiner Bermel Nature Reserve borders the area around the 500 m-high Kleinbermel; it covers around 14 hectares and was placed under protection in 1978. The details distinguish the reserves by location, size and year of designation: the southeastern Hochbermel reserve is larger, while Kleiner Bermel lies west of Bermel.

The former basalt quarry on the 570 m-high Hochbermel has been disused since the late 1970s and is now a protected area. A rare biotope has developed in the quarry and on the spoil heaps. Many different amphibians live there and in the adjacent beech forest. The history of basalt quarrying and the habitats described here thus coexist on Hochbermel.

Local History in Bermel

The parish church of St. Dionysius in Bermel was built in 1954/55 and consecrated on October 14, 1955. The Roman settlement in the Elz Valley below Bermel dates back much further. These bring two distinct periods of local history into focus: a Roman-era settlement and a church built in the mid-20th century.

Culture in the Wider Destination of Mayen-Koblenz

In the wider destination of Mayen-Koblenz, Sayn Palace Park offers a different aspect of the landscape from the nature reserves around Bermel. From 1840 to 1850, architect Carl Friedrich Thelemann designed the park as an English landscape garden, commissioned by Prince Ludwig Adolf Friedrich zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn. The park features a palace pond with a fountain, winding paths, numerous benches and secluded, peaceful spots.

Genovevaburg Castle in Mayen is also part of the wider destination of Mayen-Koblenz. It was built in 1280 by Heinrich von Finstingen, Archbishop of Trier, and is one of Mayen’s landmarks. The castle thus adds a medieval dimension to the region’s history; in Bermel itself, the historical points of interest mentioned here span the Roman era to the church built in 1954/55.

In Bendorf, Sayn Ironworks is an anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage and the only monument in Rhineland-Palatinate to receive this distinction. Following restoration, it invites visitors to explore its modern exhibitions and multimedia presentations; it also offers guided tours and creative workshops. Another historical thread leads to Sayn Abbey: it was founded around 1200, and its abbey church was consecrated in 1202. The abbey’s exterior paintings, dating to around 1255, are considered the best-preserved examples of their kind from the High Middle Ages in Germany.

Discover more destinations: Nachtsheim, Münstermaifeld, Monreal, Kell, Langscheid, Ettringen, Rüber, Vallendar

Back to the wider travel overview: Mayen-Koblenz.