Lourdes Grotto Höfenfels

A long time ago, a teacher built this memorial to thank the Holy Mary that he and his class did not drown in the boat on the lake. It was heavenly to see. Everything was freshly prepared and real candles were burning. This corner of the Eifel is like a huge dwarf forest in which the elves conjure up an enchanting landscape with the mosses 🧚🏼‍♀️

The construction of the grotto at the end of the 19th century dates back to a promise made by Julius Schulz, a teacher at the Hohenfels elementary school. He had taken his class on a trip to the Dauner Maar. The children persuaded him to take a boat trip on the Weinfelder Maar. However, the boat was leaking and threatened to sink. The teacher then vowed to build a Marian grotto if everyone could be rescued. With combined strength, everyone managed to reach the shore safely.
Soon after, local residents began construction on this site. A Madonna of Lourdes and a statue of Bernadette were erected.
Since then, the Hohenfels-Essingen Beautification Association, founded in 1895, has taken on the task of maintaining and preserving this complex. Source: Information board on site.