Photo: City Mechernich, North Rhine-Westphalia

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Mechernich - Medieval Castles and a Giant Cave

Provincial Mechernich in the Westphalian Eifel mountains is a tiny mining town with 700 years of history. However, these places also “remember” more ancient times, as evidenced by the remains of the Eifel Aqueduct-the largest Roman aqueduct, and dozens of medieval castles in the vicinity, as well as by the oldest open cave, Kakus cave, steeped in legends, glorified by Virgil, where traces of the first man have been preserved. But wilderness is the main wealth of these places! After all, Mechernich is located in Naturpark Nordeifel nature reserve.

The first mention of a tiny town in the Eifel mountains dates back to XIV century. A large-scale development of large lead and zinc deposits began in this region at that time and the town received a mining status. By 1882, ore mining in Mechernich had reached grandiose volumes; 4,500 people were employed in the mine in those years. But in 1957 the mines were closed for economic reasons. Bergbaumuseum Mining Museum was established at the place of developments. Visitors are told about the history of the town, are accompanied to the mines and shown the workers’ personal belongings and tools.

There are also very ancient landmarks in Mechernich. A fragment of the Eifel Aqueduct, Eifelwasserleitung, has been preserved in the southern part of the city. This aqueduct, built in 80 BC, was one of the longest in the Roman Empire. It supplies drinking water to the old Cologne. Today, a tourist route passes along the Roman aqueduct, with a total length of 130 kilometers. During a trip to Mechernich you should also see the nearby castles. There are several of them here: Antweiler, Berg, Firmenich, Kommern, Zievel, Heistard, and Satzvey. The latter is the most popular of them. It became famous thanks to a dozen of spectacular festivals and celebrations that its owners Count and Countess von Gymnich organize annually. The legendary Ritterfestspiele Pfingsten Knights Tournament is held there in May with costumed shows, medieval market and entertaining competitions. The annual Easter Fair called Ostermarkt für die ganze Familie, spring rock concert on the Hexennacht Walpurgis Night and Hexenmarkt Witches Market on May 1st are especially popular among locals. You can enjoy a real magical potion and participate in the competition for the best witch at Satzvey Castle on this day.

During a visit to Mechernich, be sure to visit a local restaurant and enjoy the Westphalian cuisine. The dish called Königsberger Klopse is perfectly cooked in these parts in addition to the famous Westphalian ham- Westfälischer Schinken. Immigrants from East Prussia brought this dish to Westphalia. Klopse is made with two kinds of stuffing: meat and herring with the addition of anchovies, onion, soaked white bread, eggs and spices. Dumplings are made from the resulting mixture, which are boiled in salted water and served with caper sauce. You should also by all means find in the city the famous Westphalian rye bread, with a funny name -Pumpernickel. It is slightly sweet black bread. It is made of coarsely ground rye meal and water. The German sour roast called Sauerbraten is more interesting. It is prepared from meat pre-marinated for 12 hours. It is served with potato dumplings (Kartoffelklöße) and Apfelkompott apple puree that is traditional for these places.

Lost in the picturesque Eifel mountains, Mechernich is a real gem of Westphalia. It has everything for relaxing- from a bustling capital to solitude with nature and history, to the opportunity to touch the ancient Roman aqueduct, stroll through the quiet streets, look at the legendary giant’s cave and, finally, have the best time at festivals at Satzvey Castle.