Ruine Hellkirch

The Hellkirch ruin is somewhat hidden - far from any traffic road - southwest of Woppenroth in the Hahnenbach Valley. The hill on which Hellkirch stands rises about 60 meters above the valley and is surrounded by the Hahnenbach from the north, west, and south. The rocky head drops steeply towards the valley to the west and south. Access is from the east side.
The ruin, surrounded by a deciduous forest, has an almost square floor plan. Today, only a U-shaped arrangement of rubble stone masonry remains. The wall thickness of 1.5 meters is striking. This condition is likely responsible for the building's endurance against the elements over the years. The inner area is just around 20 square meters. The eastern side is the best preserved and still looks quite good with its Gothic arched window. Due to a lack of documentary evidence, many legends surround the Hellkirch ruin, which could have been either a church or chapel, or a fortification or watchtower of the nearby Schmidtburg.
The romantic Hahnenbach Valley, located in the triangle of Bundenbach, Woppenroth, and Schneppenbach, guarantees hiking fun for young and old and offers an impressive backdrop for an eventful and nature-oriented premium tour that ranks among Germany's top-class routes. The Hahnenbach Valley tour was awarded "Germany's Most Beautiful Hiking Trail" in the day trips category by Wandermagazin in 2012.

Further information:
Tourist Information Kirchberg (Hunsrück), Tel. 06763 910144

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