Welcherath: Church, Crosses and Motorsport

Welcherath’s distinctive character can be explored through two very different threads: its sacred history and motorsport, which is part of everyday life thanks to the village’s proximity to the Nürburgring. The Vulkaneifel offers another regional perspective, with geology, museums and hiking opportunities.

Church, Village Coat of Arms and Wayside Crosses

The Catholic parish church of St Chrysanthus and Daria is a protected cultural monument and is regarded as a rural Baroque church. Its features include a Pietà, wall and ceiling paintings from around 1920, and a basalt lava crucifixion group dating from 1694. The church was restored in 2010–2011.

The village coat of arms also links Welcherath’s history with the two saints: it is based on an old court seal from 1691 and depicts the martyr pair Chrysanthus and Daria, who are regarded as the village’s patron saints. The Vulkaneifel cultural monument register lists two wayside crosses in Welcherath. The basalt shaft cross at Hauptstraße 8 is dated 1732; a basalt beam cross at the eastern edge of the village dates from 1658. Comparing their dates shows that the beam cross is older than the shaft cross.

Another religious tradition commemorates a centuries-old pilgrimage to Valwigerberg. The parishes associated with Welcherath commemorated it with a pilgrim’s stone; its dedication included a church service and a procession.

Motorsport and Routes

Motorsport is part of everyday life in Welcherath because of its proximity to the Nürburgring. A road cycling route also passes through the village: the Radarena am Ring, coming from Langenfeld, runs through Welcherath between Drees and Brücktal. Check current route conditions before setting out.

The route descriptions for hiking give different itineraries. The Hocheifelweg (HWW 14) begins near Nürburg and the Nürburgring and heads west towards the Upper Kyll Valley and Kronenburg. Another hiking route leads from the Nürburgring into the Nürburger Hochland through the Vulkaneifel landscape. Cycling and hiking therefore offer distinct activities alongside the village’s connection with motorsport.

Vulkaneifel: Geology and Hiking Trails

The Raustert quarry near Welcherath is listed as Stop 16 on the German Volcano Road in the 2026 geopark visitor brochure. The brochure describes the route as 280 kilometres long, linking 39 accessible geological, cultural-historical and industrial-historical attractions associated with volcanism in the Eifel.

The Vulkaneifel offers its own geological perspective: 77 maars have been identified there to date, and 350 eruption centres have been counted, around 270 of them from the more recent period. The Ulmen Maar marks the most recent volcanic eruption in the Vulkaneifel, which took place around 10,900 years ago. These regional figures place the landscapes and volcanic sites in a broader timeframe.

Hiking also comes in different durations. The Vulkaneifel trails lead to scenic highlights on either side of the Eifelsteig; the routes are marked and signposted. Options range from half-day and full-day hikes to multi-day walks. This lets you choose between a shorter outing and a longer hiking holiday when planning your trip.

In Daun, the Eifel Volcano Museum displays three-dimensional landscape models of cinder cones, maars and mineral springs, as well as exhibits on West Eifel volcanism. The Strohn Volcano House is an interactive museum. Its geological exhibits include a lava fissure wall around 30,000 years old, approximately six metres long and four metres high. Together, the museums offer different ways to explore the region’s volcanic landscape: through models and exhibits on the one hand, and a striking rock formation on the other.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Uersfeld, Neichen, Zermüllen, Drees, Borler, Katzwinkel, Hörschhausen, Retterath.

Back to the main travel overview: Kelberg.