Heidweiler combines a tangible history of technology with distinctive features of village life: the Fendt tractor collection includes vehicles built between 1931 and 1968, as well as model tractors, brochures and books. Other features include restored cross-hall houses in the Trier style, the wayside shrine dating from 1735 and a procession held every year at the beginning of May. These themes give the village its own focus, between the history of technology and rural heritage.
Fendt Tractors and Village History
The Fendt collection was established in 1987. Its tractors span the years 1931 to 1968; model tractors, brochures and books supplement the vehicles with smaller models and printed material. The collection thus has a clear focus on the history of technology. The broad range of years represented brings different decades into focus, while the models and printed materials offer additional ways to explore tractors.
The village’s appearance is also defined by several distinctive features: restored Trier-style cross-hall houses, an old washhouse and the Gerberhäuschen. These buildings offer a different focus from the tractor collection: here the emphasis is on village structures and local history, while there it is on historic vehicles and related materials. The Bendersbach is described as particularly appealing to children.
Wayside Shrine and Annual Procession
East of Heidweiler, next to the Bendersbach, stands a small wayside shrine dating back to 1735. The chapel is associated with a recurring religious event: every year at the beginning of May, a procession makes its way to the parish church. The wayside shrine is a longstanding historical landmark, while the procession is an annual occasion. Anyone interested in the village’s history will find two distinct perspectives on its religious heritage here: a dated building and a continuing tradition.
More to explore in the wider Bernkastel-Wittlich destination
The wider Bernkastel-Wittlich destination brings together the volcanic Eifel, the romantic Moselle Valley and the HunsrĂĽck, rich in forests and meadows. The Erbeskopf offers another way to orient yourself in the landscape: at 816 metres, it invites visitors to hike and offers a variety of winter sports. The National Park Gateway at the Erbeskopf provides information about nature and the environment. Its interactive multimedia exhibition focuses on forests and moors.
For hiking in Bernkastel-Wittlich, there are also different types of trails to choose from in the Manderscheid area. The Manderscheider Burgenstieg is a moderately difficult, 5.4-kilometre circular route around the castles; the stated duration is two hours. The Burgenklettersteig comprises three stages around the two Manderscheid castles, is about four kilometres long in total and has cable protection along one kilometre. This makes it possible to distinguish between a circular route with a specified difficulty level and duration, and a multi-stage via ferrata with a stated protected section.
Culture and wine also shape the wider Bernkastel-Wittlich destination. The pilgrimage church of Maria Heimsuchung in Klausen was consecrated in 1502; to this day, Klausen welcomes pilgrims every year. The Cusanus birthplace in Kues serves as a museum and event venue and features a permanent exhibition about Nicholas of Cusa. The Zylinderhaus offers a different thematic focus, with 90 years of German automotive history and more than 100 cars, motorcycles and vans. In the historic vaulted cellars of St. Nicholas Hospital, the wine shop offers tastings of wines from the Moselle, Saar and Ruwer. Its selection includes 100 wines, from quality wines to ice wine.
Discover more destinations: Bruch, Altrich, Bombogen, Plein, Dodenburg, Landscheid, Dreis, Minderlittgen.
Back to the overview of the wider destination: Wittlich.
