Discover Kruft

Kruft combines views of a protected landscape with a local history shaped by tuff stone and trass. Historical sites such as the town hall with the Marian Fountain and St. Dionysius Church add to this. If you are looking for a hotel in Kruft, these themes offer different points of interest for your stay: nature, regional history, or the history of individual buildings and chapels.

Tuff Stone and Trass: Traces of Local History

The Romans operated underground quarries in the municipality of Kruft to extract tuff stone. The material is known to have been transported as far as Italy, where it was used for public buildings. The history of Kruft’s tuff stone therefore extends beyond its local extraction: its use in buildings in Italy is also part of this historical context.

Trass extracted in Kruft was also used in construction. Tuff stone and trass thus offer two perspectives on the area’s material history: extraction within the municipality and the use of the materials obtained. Together with the historical sites in the townscape, they make Kruft’s history tangible not only as a sequence of dates, but also through building materials and their uses.

Korretsberg and Chapels

Korretsberg is preserved as a nature reserve for its distinctive and beautiful landscape, as well as for scientific reasons and its geological features. The landscape and geology therefore stand alongside the history of tuff stone extraction as distinct themes in Kruft. Those interested in the Korret circuit will also find connections to local building and religious history along the route.

The original chapel of St. Dionysius Church dates from 1722. Another stop is St. John’s Chapel on the Korret: Dr. Jean Schmitz had it built in 1936 in gratitude for returning home safely from the First World War. The Korret circuit passes St. Dionysius Church and St. John’s Chapel. The route thus combines a connection to the landscape with two specific historical sites. Check local conditions before setting out.

In the townscape, the Marian Fountain stands in front of Kruft’s historic town hall. Together with St. Dionysius Church and the chapels, this provides a selection of different historical points of interest: a fountain in front of the town hall, an original chapel dating from 1722, and St. John’s Chapel, built in 1936. Each has its own story, but all are part of Kruft’s range of historical themes.

More Cultural Highlights in the Wider Mayen-Koblenz Destination

Other places in the wider Mayen-Koblenz destination add their own themes to the local perspective. Genovevaburg Castle was built in 1280 by Heinrich von Finstingen, Archbishop of Trier, and is one of Mayen’s landmarks. Sayn Abbey offers another historical layer: it was founded around 1200, and its abbey church was consecrated in 1202. The abbey’s exterior paintings date from around 1255 and are considered the best-preserved from the High Middle Ages in Germany.

Industrial history is a key theme at Sayn Foundry. It is an anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage and the only monument in Rhineland-Palatinate to receive this distinction. Following restoration, modern exhibitions and multimedia displays invite visitors to explore; guided tours and creative workshops are also available. Hein’s Mill presents a different aspect of regional history: it is the only one of the 20 former mills in Bendorf and the surrounding area that is still fully operational. The mill museum explains the stages of the milling process and the importance of the milling trade in the region.

Landscape, architecture and science also offer their own highlights. Sayn Palace Park was designed as an English landscape garden from 1840 to 1850 by architect Carl Friedrich Thelemann, commissioned by Prince Ludwig Adolf Friedrich zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn. The park features a palace pond with a water fountain, winding paths, numerous benches and secluded quiet spots. In Mendig, the Lava-Dome is Germany’s volcano museum; the Geyser Museum explains in five exhibition areas how the world’s tallest cold-water geyser works. These examples show the variety of themes in the wider Mayen-Koblenz destination without conflating them with Kruft’s own attractions.

Discover more destinations: Kerben, Weitersburg, Kalt, Nitztal, Mayen, Gappenach, Herresbach, Kirchwald.

Go to the wider travel overview: Mayen-Koblenz.