Felsenkirche, Idar-Oberstein, Germany

The Felsenkirche, a church built into a natural niche in the rocks, rises high above the houses of Oberstein. Wyrich IV of Daun-Oberstein had it constructed in the years 1482-1484. Behind it, a wall of rocks rises steeply upwards; and under it, the houses of Oberstein nestle into the slope. On account of its prominent location, the church has become a symbol of the city. It can be entered only through a tunnel which was dug into the rocks.

The church’s greatest treasure is the medieval winged altar. It was created around 1400 by an unknown painter, the “Master of the Mainz Mocking”.

References:

felsenkirche-oberstein.de

User Reviews

黃瀨名 (4 years ago)
Amazing church! You can imagine the hardships in the early days of construction! I am so convinced of religious belief!

Mona Swihart (7 years ago)
Its a stair climb to get here but a really beautiful little Church. Has an interesting history and has a myth about 2 brothers and why it was built. It has a spring in it to. Worth the time to check it out.

Frank Wils (7 years ago)
Church build inside the rocky hill. The exterior of the church stands out of the rocks, but the entrance is through a cavelike tunnel and also the interior is build into the rocks. Amazing place! Beautiful over the city. As Idar-Oberstein is famous for its precious stones, of course the church has a cross made of these. Seeing how few reviews and pictures this place has, it's a hidden gem.

Draugadrotin n (7 years ago)
Nice place built on a cliff side but mediocre on the inside . . The cool thing is that the entrance is through a tunnel built into the mountain

Ricardo Murphy (8 years ago)
I was there in 1977 man it has changed before it was just a small room with about 6-8 benches and a small alter. Bare walls just like a cave I love it

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Infomastern

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There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.

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