Discover Helferskirchen

Located between the Kannenbäckerland and the Westerwald Lake District, Helferskirchen is a health resort surrounded by coniferous and deciduous forests. This brings landscape and architectural history together in your travel planning. The Church of the Assumption of Mary and several half-timbered houses dating from the 17th and 18th centuries offer tangible points of reference for the town’s history, while hiking and cycling trails provide another perspective on your visit.

Landscape and Trails

Helferskirchen is connected to hiking trails WR11, WR12 and III, as well as the Aubachroute cycling route. This lets you choose between hiking and cycling as different focuses when planning your trip. The routes complement the view of the town’s history with the chance to explore the landscape on the move. As trail markings may change in the future, check the current route information before setting out.

Church of the Assumption of Mary

The Catholic Church of the Assumption of Mary combines a Romanesque west tower with a Late Gothic upper section and an octagonal spire. The nave was rebuilt in 1769 after a fire in 1768; the Baroque high altar and pulpit have been preserved inside. The church thus reveals distinct building phases: the tower’s architectural forms, the 18th-century rebuilding of the nave, and the surviving Baroque furnishings.

The organ also adds to this picture of the church’s architectural history. The church houses a Schöler organ from Bad Ems, built in 1785 and preserved almost unchanged; a second manual was added later. The rebuilding of the nave was thus followed by an instrument from the late 18th century, with its later extension marking another stage in its history.

Half-Timbered Houses in the Historic Centre

Several half-timbered houses dating from the 17th and 18th centuries have been preserved in the historic centre. Traditional infill made of straw and clay, along with slate roofs, draw attention to the materials and architectural details. The houses add another perspective on the town’s history to the church’s building phases: here, the focus is on timber framing, infill and roof design, alongside the tower, nave and furnishings.

More Places to Explore in the Westerwald

The Westerwald has other destinations with their own distinctive themes. The WesterwaldSteig is 235 kilometres long and consists of 16 stages. The Druidensteig covers 94 kilometres in seven day stages, passing through seven river valleys and featuring more than 30 geo-information points. Their lengths and stage counts make it easy to compare the two hiking trails; the geo-information points add a distinctive feature to the Druidensteig. Before planning your trip, check the current route plan for the WesterwaldSteig and the latest information about the Druidensteig.

Another destination brings together industrial heritage, geological history and nature: Stöffel Park is a former basalt quarry site covering around 140 hectares in the Westerwald. Fossils are displayed at the TERTIÄRUM in Stöffel Park, including the famous “Stöffel Mouse.” The fossils document around 25 million years of geological history. Alongside Helferskirchen’s architectural styles, the Westerwald therefore also offers a distinctive way to explore geological history and the region’s former basalt mining.

The Westerwald Ceramics Museum presents the history of working with clay. The objects on display mostly originated in a Westerwald clay pit, connecting the collection with the region’s clay tradition. In a well-equipped museum workshop, visitors can get creative themselves under expert guidance. Before your trip, check the current workshop programme and booking conditions.

Discover more destinations: Lautzenbrücken, Welschneudorf, Alpenrod, Oberelbert, Astert, Wahlrod, Selters, Niederelbert

See the overview of the wider region: Westerwald.