The best walks and hikes around Thür

The Thürer meadows are beautiful in every season; with a bit of luck you might see egrets and other wildlife. It's always worth hiking there.

A wonderful place to explore... especially in autumn... a black wall behind colorful leaves

There are a variety of birds to observe at the lake

The water buffalo are impressive animals and ideally suited to the meadows of the NSG

The origins of the Fraukirch Church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, date back to the early Middle Ages. Excavations suggest that the current building was built on the foundations of a Franconian hall church from the 8th century, making it one of the oldest churches in the Eifel. The church building that survives today dates primarily from the early 13th century and was built in the Rhenish Transitional style, with the nave still displaying late Romanesque elements, while the choir is already characterized by early Gothic pointed arches. A special feature and a great peculiarity of the Fraukirch Church is its close connection to the Genoveva legend. According to legend, Count Palatine Siegfried is said to have founded the church in thanks for the miraculous rescue of his innocently slandered wife, Genevieve of Brabant, by the Virgin Mary. Inside the church is a remarkable, richly decorated high altar made of tuff stone from 1664, which depicts the Annunciation and the main scenes from the Genoveva Saga with impressive craftsmanship. The church also contains a tombstone, which is believed to be the gravestone of Count Palatine Siegfried and his wife Genoveva. Fraukirch was a popular pilgrimage site for centuries. Another special feature near the church is the so-called Golo Cross, the original parts of which are now housed in the church. This is an impressive stone cross made of basalt lava with an inscription of the Salve Regina from 1472. The name Golo Cross also refers to the Genoveva Saga and the treacherous court marshal Golo. Until 1764, the church was the private church of the Bishop of Trier, then passed to the Maria Laach Abbey, and after secularization, it was auctioned off around 1804. Today, the ensemble consists of the church and a neighboring farmstead, with the church having belonged to the Catholic parish of Thür since a donation in 1906. It is idyllically situated amidst open fields and remains a destination for pilgrims from the region.

The Votive Chapel is located near the Fraukirch Church. It was built in 1605 and is situated in the open countryside, where, together with the main church and the neighboring manor house, it forms a remarkable ensemble. The purpose of the chapel, as the name suggests, is a votive offering, a form of thanksgiving or vow to the Mother of God, thus underscoring the Fraukirch Church's role as an important Marian pilgrimage site. Inside the Votive Chapel is an important work of art, the so-called Chalice Angel Relief, sometimes also called the Chalice Angel Cross. This relief is also made of dark basalt lava and depicts a praying angel holding a chalice. Such depictions are often found on crosses or wayside shrines in the Eifel region, and the relief is considered particularly charming and a testament to the region's deep-rooted popular piety. The basalt cross near the chapel you mentioned could either be the chalice-angel relief itself, as it is often classified in this category, or another simple basalt cross (wayside cross) from the period. Basalt is a very commonly used and weather-resistant material for field monuments in the Eifel region. In summary, the votive chapel from 1605, with its basalt chalice-angel relief, represents an important element of the Fraukirch pilgrimage site, highlighting the tradition of Marian veneration and reflecting the local architectural culture with its basalt lava.

They are always friendly ;) nice place to take a break

An old niche cross. Year unknown. Part of the former processional route from Mendig to Thur.