Baustert: Church Art, Chapels and Forests

Baustert combines a wooded setting with village history, chapels and remarkable church art. The Baustert-Brimingen Monuments themed trail focuses on historic buildings and wayside crosses; walks also lead through the surroundings on the edge of the South Eifel Nature Park. This means you can choose between nature, architecture and little discoveries along the way during your stay.

Church, Conservation Area and Chapels

The Parish Church of St. Maximin clearly reveals its building history from the outside: the present broad hall church was added to the tower in 1965–1967; the tower dates back to an extension of the church between 1900 and 1910. Inside, parts of the predecessor building’s neo-Romanesque furnishings have been preserved, including a baptismal font, choir stalls, figures and capitals. The older furnishings also include a sandstone altarpiece from 1823 depicting the Entombment and wooden figures from the 18th century.

Brunnenstraße also tells the story of Baustert’s architectural heritage. The small conservation area is known locally as “Hilt” and comprises small farmsteads along the gently rising, arched street. The buildings date from the second half of the 19th century and have largely retained their original appearance to this day. This offers a different perspective on local history from the furnishings of the parish church: here, the farmsteads and the course of the street shape the impression.

The Chapel of Grace was built in 1766, or possibly 1769, in gratitude for the birth of a child. In 1981, it was moved a few hundred metres farther towards Hütterscheid, to a fork in the path at the edge of the forest. It was rebuilt there as an exact replica, using old dressed stones and the original stone door surround. Here, the building’s history and its later relocation are closely connected.

Discover Monuments and Explore the Outdoors

The Baustert-Brimingen Monuments themed trail leads to listed buildings and numerous wayside crosses; 13 panels along the route provide information about the individual sites. The trail also passes the Parish Church of St. Maximin and reaches the Baustert Chapel. There, hikers can look inside and sign the guestbook. A seating area invites you to linger; if this rest stop is important to your plans, it is best to check its current condition before your visit. After the climb, you can enjoy panoramic views over Baustert.

Baustert offers a 100-hectare wooded setting on the edge of the South Eifel Nature Park, ideal for longer walks. In the district of Berghausen, the Mühlbach stream has a particularly beautiful meandering course. The area around the “Crocodile” is located in the middle of Baustert Forest and is intended to be a place for children in particular to explore and experience. Updated signposting and a future attraction are planned.

More Places to Explore in the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm

Those looking beyond Baustert to the wider destination of Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm will find a variety of other ideas. At the Mühlenberger Stollen Bleialf visitor mine, a mining trail with numerous information panels explores the area’s mining history. There are also one-hour guided tours through the mine, focusing on ore extraction in Bleialf—from geology to applied technology. If you are planning a tour, check the current dates before your trip.

The Devonium in Waxweiler presents complex concepts in palaeontology and the science of fossil life in a playful way. The Westwall Museum offers a different historical perspective: housed across three accessible levels of a bunker, it features a military history exhibition in underground corridors and rooms. In Rittersdorf, meanwhile, the water castle, around 700 years old, offers a glimpse of late medieval and modern Renaissance residential culture; it has been preserved almost unchanged since it was built. The castle also has a privately run restaurant serving refined regional cuisine. If you plan to visit, check its availability before your trip.

This makes it possible to choose a destination based on your travel group’s interests without treating the different places and experiences as interchangeable.

Discover more destinations: Stahl, Metterich, Olsdorf, Fließem, Bettingen, Bickendorf, Oberweis, Dudeldorf.

For the wider travel overview: Bitburg.