Anschau – Village History and Customs

Anschau can be discovered through specific places and a tradition associated with the days before Easter. At the heart of the village are the Church of St. Aegidius and the St. Aegidius Fountain. There is also the old hunting lodge, one of the town’s extensively restored historic buildings. Together, these places and customs offer different ways to explore the area during a stay focused on history and local culture.

Church, Fountain and Hunting Lodge

The Church of St. Aegidius was built in 1755 and stands at the heart of Anschau. The St. Aegidius Fountain is also in the village centre. These two named landmarks make the centre of the village a tangible starting point for exploring Anschau’s local history. The old hunting lodge adds another historic building to this picture: it is one of the town’s extensively restored structures. In Anschau, you can therefore encounter both a religious building with a precisely dated origin and a hunting lodge whose restoration forms part of its present-day historical description.

Kläppering during the Days before Easter

During the days before Easter, children in Anschau use Kläpper instruments and rattles to replace the midday and evening church bells. The custom is thus tied to a specific time in the church calendar; its dates follow Holy Week. If you would like to plan your stay around this tradition, schedule your visit for the relevant days before Easter. This local custom offers a different way to engage with history than the date on a building: here, the focus is on a recurring practice.

The Aegidius Fair is another occasion when the village comes together. The 2026 edition was celebrated as a four-day festival. As in previous years, the Anschau Village Community Association organised the fair events at the Aegidius Hall. This information refers to the 2026 festival and the previous years mentioned; when planning your trip, check the dates for the relevant edition. Use of the barbecue hut in Anschau requires approval from the local municipality. If you would like to include the hut in your plans, this approval is therefore required.

More cultural highlights in the wider Mayen-Koblenz destination

The wider Mayen-Koblenz destination offers further historical highlights. Genovevaburg Castle is one of Mayen’s landmarks and was built in 1280 by Heinrich von Finstingen, Archbishop of Trier. Sayn Ironworks offers a different way to explore history: it is an anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage and the only monument in Rhineland-Palatinate to receive this distinction. Following restoration, it invites visitors to explore its modern exhibitions and multimedia presentations; guided tours and creative workshops are also available.

Sayn Abbey adds an older chapter of sacred history to these themes. It was founded around 1200, and the abbey church was consecrated in 1202. Exterior paintings dating from around 1255 are considered the best-preserved examples of their kind from the High Middle Ages in Germany. For a change from architectural history to designed landscapes, visit Sayn Palace Park: Carl Friedrich Thelemann laid it out between 1840 and 1850 in the style of an English landscape garden, commissioned by Prince Ludwig Adolf Friedrich zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn. The park features a palace pond with a water fountain, winding paths, numerous benches and secluded quiet spots.

Choose a Holiday Apartment to Suit Your Interests

When choosing a holiday apartment in Anschau, consider whether you would like to focus your stay primarily on village history and local traditions. The church and fountain are in the village centre; the Kläpper tradition is tied to the days before Easter, while use of the barbecue hut requires approval from the local municipality. If you would also like to explore the cultural and landscape highlights of the wider Mayen-Koblenz destination, it helps to take these interests into account when choosing where to stay. This way, you can base your decision on what you would like to experience during your stay without conflating Anschau’s distinctive features with the sights of the wider destination.

Discover more destinations: Luxem, Langenfeld, Weiler

Back to the wider travel guide: Vordereifel.