The best walks and hikes around Schankweiler

To the right, on the wall, stands a Black Madonna – the "Non-Maria" (Mary in Need), around whom many legends have arisen. The first hermits had to make do with a small hermitage on the protruding rock next to the chapel, which was only accessible via a narrow bridge. A footbridge still leads to the rock. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the current hermit's dwelling was built, attached to the south side of the church. Around 25 hermits have lived in the hermitage over the years. From May to September, the Schankweiler Hermitage is a very popular wedding church. Every year, on May 1st, the pilgrimage season is opened with a pilgrimage service. In addition, church services are held regularly. For more information, please contact the church. The Schankweiler Klause is the starting and ending point of the Klausnerweg hiking trail in the NaturWanderPark delux. A parking lot for hikers is located a short distance from the church and the hermit's dwelling.

A baroque jewel in the solitude of the forest. Northeast of the Ferschweiler plateau, above the villages of Schankweiler and Holsthum, a simple church is hidden in the forest. Two plaques on the facade mention the year of construction, while the inscription and the niche figure above the portal refer to the patron saint: the current pilgrimage chapel of Maria Hilf (Our Lady of Perpetual Help) was built in 1762 on the Schankweilerhöhe. It was not the first building on this spot; a chapel with an associated hermitage is already mentioned in 1648. Anyone who enters the church is amazed: behind the simple facade lies a rich late baroque interior. The centerpiece of the high altar is the miraculous image, a enthroned Madonna surrounded by a halo of rays, dating from the 17th century. This is Our Lady of Good Counsel, to whom numerous pilgrims flock annually.

The Roman burial ground of Holsthum (Römisches Gräberfeld von Holsthum) in the German Eifel, located near the Schankweiler Klause, houses special sarcophagi from Roman times. The graves are situated on a slope in the forest above the village of Holsthum. They date from the early 2nd century AD. These are Gallo-Roman graves, whose burial chambers are constructed from vertical sandstone slabs. They look like small houses, hence the designation 'sarcophagi' or 'flat graves'. Urns with the ashes of the deceased and grave goods were placed in these sarcophagi. One of the seven graves is a striking, larger stone sarcophagus. Some graves were covered with roof- or house-shaped stones, including an obelisk-shaped stone and a stone in the shape of a truncated pyramid. The burial ground is considered the cemetery of a nearby Roman farm (villa rustica).

This Viking castle has absolutely no connection to Vikings. Instead, it is a Bronze Age fortification wall from the 11th/12th century BC. It was used to seal off access to the Ferschweiler Plateau. The moss-covered stones that can be seen here today were piled up here at a later time, when the original wall had long since been destroyed. Source: http://www.lyakon.de/wikingerburg-auf-dem-ferschweiler-plateau.html

Now you're at the top and can take a nice long break. Maybe you packed something sweet. Now is exactly the right time for that.

Here you can take your first short break. An information board explains the wall. Great for children who want to play at conquering a castle.

Wonderful view of Holstein

Info on the photos