Nachtsheim

Nachtsheim combines a hiking experience with small cultural and historical sights: the Strühmannspettje circles the local municipality and leads through the Mimbach Valley to the Heinzelmännchens Höhle. Other attractions include the rock grotto in the Kesselchen, a Pietà in St. Stephen’s Parish Church and a Roman burial ground. If you are planning a stay and looking for a hotel, these themes can shape how you spend your time in Nachtsheim.

The Strühmannspettje: Circular Hiking Trail and Views

The Nachtsheim Strühmannspettje is a circular hiking trail around the local municipality. The route is 11.7 kilometres long, or around twelve kilometres; as a moderately difficult trail, it takes about three and a half hours. It leads through the Mimbach Valley to the Heinzelmännchens Höhle and combines natural and historical sights with viewpoints. Above the cave, reclining benches stand on the hillside; from there, the view stretches across the Mimbach Valley. If you are planning to make a hike the focus of your stay, these details can help you gauge both the distance and approximate walking time.

The community hall is recommended as the starting point. There is ample parking there, provided the hall is not being used for another purpose. Signposting is incomplete in some sections, so download the GPX track and route map in advance. Also check the route conditions before setting out. The trail is only suitable to a limited extent for people with health-related or mobility impairments. Difficulty, duration, navigation and personal circumstances should therefore all be considered together when planning the hike.

Rock Grotto and Roman Traces

The small rock grotto in Nachtsheim’s “Kesselchen” was built in 1937 by Josef, Peter and Aloys Gerharz, together with Peter Thome. The builders set a small altar stone bearing a statue of the Virgin Mary into the rock. A staircase and seating were added during renovation. Its date of origin, religious design and structural additions offer several specific points of reference for a cultural and historical perspective on Nachtsheim.

Nachtsheim’s Roman past is also part of the local landscape: the Roman burial ground near Nachtsheim was laid out as a burial garden with barrows south of the Koblenz–Liège Roman road. A Roman road vicus stood along this road. The burial site and the route represent different aspects of the same historical landscape: the graves south of the road and the vicus beside it.

Church, Pilgrimage and Tradition

A Pietà stands in St. Stephen’s Parish Church: it depicts Jesus in the arms of the Sorrowful Mother Mary after being taken down from the cross. The sculpture group was restored and put back on display in 2002. Before that, it had been kept in the church cellar for more than 30 years because of severe damage. The stages of damage, extended storage and reinstatement give the depiction its own history within the parish church.

Every May, the parish community of St. Stephen’s in Nachtsheim makes an annual pilgrimage to Maria Martental; the destination is outside Nachtsheim. The first pilgrimage on foot took place in May 1945, after around 200 parishioners had signed a document making a vow. The tradition is passed down to younger generations. There is also a local legend: the Heinzelmännchen are said to have fled from Cologne and found a new home, among other places, in Nachtsheim in the Eifel. As a piece of folklore, this tale differs from the dated historical events associated with the grotto and the Pietà.

Discover more destinations: Bermel, Hatzenport, Dieblich, Lonnig, Nörtershausen, Welling, Gering, Lasserg.

For the regional travel overview: Mayen-Koblenz.