Popular destination for hikers along the AhrSteig
The Lourdes Chapel above Himmelsburger Straße in Bachem is a real gem. It is hidden away in the Bachemer Wiesental valley and is a popular destination for hikers and walkers. Among other things, the 6th stage of the AhrSteig leads past here. The chapel was built in 1948 by Karl Dresen, a shoemaker from Bachem, in gratitude for his happy return home from the Second World War.
Second World War. The dome dates back to 1958 and the Lourdes Chapel
has since developed into a place of pilgrimage that is visited by believers
from near and far.
Historical background:
In 1948, the shoemaker Karl Dresen from Bachem built the Lourdes Chapel in gratitude for his return from the war. The small quarry stone building with a replica of the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was consecrated in 1949 and soon became a centre of attraction. In 1958, a semi-circular grotto made of cinder blocks was added to the chapel.This construction gave the chapel the impression of a natural stone formation.
After years under the care of a Marian apostolate, the parish of St Pius Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler took over its care in 1963. An arson attack in 1988 destroyed the inventory. Just one month later, the chapel was blessed again in the presence of over 500 people.
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