Place of prayer and remembrance.
Nestled on the steep slopes above the wine village of Walporzheim and emphasised by a special
architecture, the new, so-called flood chapel has been a special place to pause for a moment in the Ahr valley. The small church was built in
in memory of the 2021 flood and is not only available to those affected by the flood, but
but all visitors to the Ahr Valley as a place of remembrance, to pray or simply to linger.
available. Both the planning and the realisation on site were carried out by
donated by companies from southern Germany.
The Flood Chapel is a small architectural masterpiece: it is intended to be off-putting and encourage people to pause,
That is why there are no right angles on the building. With its greywacke plinth
it blends in perfectly with the surrounding vineyard walls. The vertical
walls and the sloping roof point upwards towards the sky.
towards the sky. Visitors are greeted by a large bronze plaque with the course of the Ahr
and a colourful rainbow. Nothing should be locked at the chapel : There is no door, but an open passageway into the interior. There
visitors will find a small altar and a statue of St Donatus, to whom the chapel is
the chapel is dedicated to. St Donatus is a patron saint against storms,
lightning, hail and fire. A bench invites you to take a seat.
Also in the outdoor area there are
seating areas from which you can enjoy wonderful views of the valley and can take a break while hiking. The flood chapel is located directly on the circular trail
"Die große Walporzheimer Runde". The entrance to the hiking trail is right
behind the wine shop of the Winzergenossenschaft-Maßschoß-Altenahr on the B 267 in Walporzheim. From the flood chapel hikers can decide in which direction they want to walk the loop:: round to the left via a few steps up the small steep mountain path to the Bunte Kuh viewpoint or to the right past the "Alte Lay" platform. The flood chapel can also be reached as a detour from the red wine hiking trail above.
How to get there: The flood chapel is best reached on foot. If you arrive by car, we recommend parking in the car park at the vinotheque in Walporzheim and walking from there along the vineyard path to the steep slopes. If you follow this path, you will automatically reach the Flutkapelle chapel.
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