Kottenborn: St. Anthony’s Chapel and Hiking Trails

Kottenborn offers two specific perspectives for planning your trip: St. Anthony’s Chapel with its long building history, and hiking trails with views, woodland and valley scenery. If you’re looking for a hotel in Kottenborn, these themes can help you tailor your stay to your cultural or hiking interests. There is also a historic mill and a bus connection to Adenau. The trails differ in the landscapes, stages and distances described.

St. Anthony’s Chapel: building history and features

St. Anthony’s Chapel stands on a slope at the edge of the village and is sheltered by old elm trees. As a chapel of ease, it belongs to Kirmutscheid; it was first mentioned in a document in 1403. Its construction required the consent of the Adenau Commandery of the Knights Hospitaller. The chapel thus combines an early historical reference with its own building history and ecclesiastical affiliation.

A keystone in the Late Gothic choir bears the year 1525. In the 17th century, the chapel was extended with a low, two-bay nave. “Two-bay” describes the division of the nave into two bays. The wooden altar dates from 1790. These details provide several points of reference in time: the first mention, the date on the choir’s keystone, the later extension and the date of the altar.

Hiking trails and scenery

The Müllenwirft Loop reaches the Kottenborner Schweiz viewpoint on a ridge. From there, panoramic views stretch across green volcanic hills and over Kottenborn towards Aremberg, Reifferscheid and Rodder. The viewpoint has panoramic information boards and a seating area. The loop also descends through Kottenborn Forest into the Wirftbach Valley. Its described route therefore includes both views from the ridge and a descent through the forest into the valley.

“In the Footsteps of the Knights of the Order” offers a different type of route: the 41.6-kilometre hiking loop is divided into two stages. At the end of the first day is St. Anthony’s Chapel in Kottenborn. The stages and the location of this day’s destination can help you plan your hike; check trail conditions before setting out.

Stages, mill and getting around

The fourth stage of “In the Footsteps of Old Mills” also passes through Kottenborn. It runs from Wirft via Barweiler and Kottenborn to Quiddelbach and Adenau. The route is marked throughout with its hiking logo. Unlike the two-stage circular hike “In the Footsteps of the Knights of the Order,” this stage follows a sequence of several places. The two trails can therefore be distinguished by their route format and the day’s destinations mentioned.

The Kottenborn Mill was built in the 18th century and first mentioned in old lease books in 1728. It was decommissioned in 1954. Its history adds another perspective on Kottenborn to the historical details of the chapel: here, the focus is on the date of construction, the early written reference and the end of operations.

Bus connection to Adenau

Bus route 881 connects Adenau Markt with Kottenborn. If you’re planning to travel by public transport, check the current timetable and service for your travel date before setting out. This lets you include the bus journey in your travel plans without assuming a specific departure time.

Discover more destinations: Insul, Eichenbach, Reifferscheid, Kaltenborn, Rodder, Hümmel, Dankerath, Aremberg.

For the regional travel overview: Adenau.