Marienthal: Monastery History, Wine and the Ahr Cycle Route
Accommodation in Marienthal
Marienthal brings together the history of a former Augustinian convent with wine, cultural events and the Ahr Cycle Route. The monastery ruins, Baroque terraced garden and present-day winery show how the place has changed over the centuries. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus on architecture and a place to stop for refreshments, a cultural programme or activities along the Ahr.
Monastery history in the terraced garden
The former Augustinian convent is located in the parish of Dernau and is listed as a cultural monument at Klosterstraße 3. It was founded in 1136 and completely rebuilt in 1699. The Baroque terraced garden contains a garden pavilion dated 1762. The former monastery also includes the ruins of a hall building, which probably date from the 17th century. The monastery ruins and garden invite visitors to linger in peace and stop for refreshments. Different architectural reference points stand side by side: the Baroque garden with its dated pavilion and the hall-building ruins, whose date is only approximate. The site therefore cannot be reduced to a single year or period.
Winery, dining and events
From 2004, the old monastery ruins were transformed into a modern winery with a wine bar. Kloster Marienthal Winery offers wine sales daily from 10:00 to 18:30 and dining from 11:00 to 18:30. The different opening times are useful when planning your day: wine sales start earlier than dining. Check the opening hours before you arrive. The monastery ruins and garden are also part of the events calendar, regularly hosting all kinds of events and concerts. If a concert or another cultural programme is central to your visit, also check the specific event dates.
Cycling along the Ahr
The Ahr Cycle Route runs as far as Marienthal. From the Marienthal section, it continues along the left bank of the Ahr, below the distinctive “Bunte Kuh” rock formation. This brings a specific riverbank route together with a prominent landscape feature when planning your ride. The route may change due to reconstruction and diversions, so check the current route before setting out. A wine-hiking route for the 5th Mittelahr Wine Autumn passed through the Klostergarten vineyard site in Marienthal. While the current route of the cycle path should be checked, this hiking route was tied to the named Wine Autumn event.
Insights into the history of the Ahr Valley
The Government Bunker at Silberberg is a preserved section of the former alternate seat of the constitutional organs of the Federal Republic of Germany. In the Ahr Valley, 203 metres of the former 17.3-kilometre government bunker complex can be visited as a documentation centre; 90-minute guided tours are offered. These figures put the visitable section in perspective in relation to the size of the former complex. The tour also provides a clearly defined timeframe for this historical insight. Alongside the monastery’s history, this offers another way to explore the past of the Ahr Valley, without requiring the two sites to be linked as part of a single visit.
Choose accommodation to suit your travel plans
When comparing specific accommodation, consider its location in relation to the places you actually plan to visit. This lets you base your choice on your planned daily itinerary.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Ramersbach, Walporzheim, Heimersheim, Ehlingen, Bachem, Heppingen.
Return to the main travel overview: Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler.
