Baustert: Forest, Chapels and Monuments

Forest, Stream and Discoveries

Baustert has 100 hectares of forest-rich surroundings on the edge of the South Eifel Nature Park, inviting you to enjoy long walks. For those who enjoy spending time outdoors, this makes a rewarding focus for a stay. In the district of Berghausen, the Mühlbach stream meanders through the landscape. The stream and woodland offer different impressions of nature: the water’s winding course on the one hand, and extensive opportunities for forest walks on the other.

The area around the “Crocodile” lies in the heart of Baustert’s forest. It is intended to be a place where children in particular can explore and experience the forest. For families who enjoy spending time making discoveries together in the countryside, it offers a distinct point of interest. The area’s character provides a different focus from a walk centred mainly on the landscape or local history.

A Themed Trail with Monuments and Views

The Baustert-Brimingen Monuments Trail leads to listed buildings and numerous wayside crosses. Along the route, 13 information boards describe the respective sites. The trail offers an opportunity to take in individual buildings and crosses, along with their explanations, rather than simply passing them by. The route passes St. Maximin Parish Church and reaches Baustert Chapel. There, walkers can look inside, use a seating area to pause and add an entry to the guestbook. After the climb, there are panoramic views over Baustert.

The trail’s destinations and stops appeal to different interests: the information boards focus on the respective monuments, while the view over Baustert reveals the landscape around the town. If you’re interested in both, you can take these aspects into account when planning your day. Baustert Chapel also offers the opportunity to combine the walk with a break at the seating area.

Church, Furnishings and Chapel History

The present-day St. Maximin Parish Church was built as a broad hall church in 1965–1967, attached to a tower dating from the church’s extension in 1900–1910. Inside, parts of the predecessor building’s neo-Romanesque furnishings have been preserved, including the baptismal font, choir stalls, figures and capitals. Older items in the inventory also include a sandstone reredos from 1823 depicting the Entombment, as well as wooden figures from the 18th century. Those interested in sacred architecture will find different historical traces and materials within a single church.

The Chapel of Grace also tells a story of changes to the building. It was erected in 1766, or possibly 1769, in gratitude for the birth of a child. In 1981, it was moved several hundred metres farther in the direction of Hütterscheid, to the edge of the forest at a fork in the road. It was rebuilt there as an exact copy, using old stone blocks and the original door frame. Its origins and subsequent relocation give the chapel two distinct historical points of reference.

Insights into the Townscape

The small Brunnenstraße monument zone, also known locally as “Hilt,” comprises small farmsteads along a road that rises in a curve. The buildings date from the second half of the 19th century and have largely retained their original appearance to this day. This complements the religious buildings with a look at the town’s historic farm architecture.

If you’re looking for a holiday apartment in Baustert, you can first decide what you’d like to focus on: forests and walks, the monuments trail and its information boards, or the history of the church, chapel and farmsteads. This helps you choose accommodation with a clear idea of which experiences interest you most during your stay.

Discover More Places

If you’d like to explore other places at this level: Oberweiler, Bettingen, Stahl, Fließem, Bickendorf, Dudeldorf, Olsdorf, Ehlenz.

For the overview of the wider area: Bitburg.