St. Michael's Chapel (Michaeliskapelle) on Michaelsberg

The Michaelsberg is one of the oldest settlements in the town of Bad Dürkheim. Celts, Romans and Franks have already left their mark here. Where Celts and Romans worshiped their many different pagan gods, Christians later often built churches or chapels with St. Michael as their patron saint. Simply park in the large car park in front of the giant barrel, cross the street and you're at the top.

This church was dedicated to the Archangel Michael. The name (coming from Hebrew) means "Who is like God?". He is often depicted - on paintings or as a statue - with a flaming sword, and occasionally a lance. Michael is - together with Raphael, Gabriel and Uriel - one of the four archangels who (according to human imagination) occupy the highest rank in the heavenly hierarchy of angelic beings. Their common feast day in the saints calendar is September 29th.

The oldest vineyard in the Palatinate on the "Monte sancti Michaeli" was mentioned in a document as early as 1155. She later became known through the pilgrimages to the chapel on the Michelsberg. These pilgrimages took place on September 29th, the name day of St. Michael. The market that took place around these pilgrimages on Michaelsberg was then called Michaelismarkt. At some point there was too little space on Michelsberg and the hustle and bustle of the pious church fathers became too colorful.