Keldung’s highlights include hikes in the Elz Valley and a historic village centre with traces of several centuries. You can shape your stay around either hiking or the history of the village. Specific points of interest include St. Stephen’s Chapel, the cemetery, a wayside cross and a historic pump.
Hiking in the Elz Valley
Keldung is a starting point for hikes in the Elz Valley. From Keldung, it takes about 10 minutes to reach the Elz Valley and half an hour to get to Eltz Castle. These two details offer different points of reference for planning your day: hikes are associated with the Elz Valley, while Eltz Castle is named as another destination. This lets you combine a focus on hiking with a place to visit, without treating the two travel times as a single route.
The chapel and historic village centre
Keldung’s historic village centre is the lower village, beneath the chapel dedicated to St. Stephen. St. Stephen has been venerated in St. Stephen’s Chapel since the 13th century. The chapel was first mentioned in a document in 1420. Its building history continued with two distinct changes: a choir was added in 1707, and its nave was renovated in 1832. The choir and nave are different parts of the chapel.
The Catholic Chapel of St. Stephen, together with the cemetery, forms a historic complex. In front of the chapel is also a niche wayside cross dating from 1701. The chapel, cemetery and cross offer several tangible points of reference in the historic village centre: alongside the religious site itself, the wayside cross also provides a glimpse into Keldung’s history.
Further traces of Keldung’s past
Another historic feature stands outside the house at HauptstraĂźe 22a: a cast-iron hand pump from the 19th century. Its exact address distinguishes it from the buildings around the chapel and locates it elsewhere in the village.
An archaeological find also forms part of Keldung’s history. The coin hoard known as the Carolingian coin hoard of Pilligerheck was found in the area of Keldung, which belongs to the town of Münstermaifeld. Its name recalls the find, while the chapel, wayside cross and pump identify specific historic places or objects in the village today.
MĂĽnstermaifeld: a separate focus for your visit
The wider destination of Münstermaifeld offers other distinct cultural attractions and places to explore. The Collegiate Church of St. Martin and St. Severus in Münstermaifeld is the church of the former St. Martin and St. Severus collegiate foundation. A historic walking tour lets you explore the city’s main sights in a stroll lasting just under an hour. A smartphone-based city tour offers a way to explore 31 sights there. The two tours offer different formats: a stated duration for the walk and a number of sights for the smartphone-guided exploration.
The Maifeld Archaeological Museum is in Münstermaifeld, in the vaulted cellar beneath the Tourist Information office, in the old provost’s residence on Münsterplatz. Its permanent exhibition is titled “Wealth. Power. Salvation.” The Münstermaifeld Local History and Experience Museum includes additional museum rooms in the city, including a historic smithy.
The Maifeld Cycle and Hiking Trail is also part of this wider destination. It runs along a nearly level, disused railway line between MĂĽnstermaifeld, Polch, Ochtendung and Mayen. The route also serves as a sculpture trail: artworks form an open-air museum in the landscape. So, alongside city tours and the museum, MĂĽnstermaifeld offers a cycle and hiking trail and outdoor art as distinct themes to explore.
For the wider travel overview: MĂĽnstermaifeld.
