Most spa towns in Germany have the title of “Bad” preceding its name. But some names can be misleading since the town of Vallendar is a spa town without the official “Bad” title.
Yet, I think that Vallendar, located just 5km north of Koblenz, should be known for other things, not just a spa town. What kind of things? Oh, goody — you asked; saves me the trouble of talking you into it.
It’s only but a minute to realize why I’m so eager to talk about Vallendar. There’s the usual Renaissance stuff I talk about, but some of the later century buildings caught my fancy, as they will yours. :-)
The Saints Petrus & Marzellinus is a good start as it’s one of the oldest churches in town, a 1501 original — although it was redone in the 19th century. St. Lukas’ Church is another 19th century churches in town. I know, I know, it’s not medieval or from the Renaissance, but still a dandy place to see.
If you want to see something medieval, the tower of the Klosterkirche Schönstatt was built when the Romanesque style was popular.
Visits to the Marienburg-Kapelle (1897), the former St. Joseph Hospital (1856), the Kaiser-Friedrich-Turm (1899), and the former synagogue are also on the list of area attractions.
Scattered throughout Vallendar are many of those famous framework houses that Germany’s known for. Although technically not a timber-framed building, Vallendar’s Rathaus (built 1663) is the prettiest building in town, looking like a real life gingerbread house.
So far Vallendar’s gosh-darn awesome and I haven’t even gotten to its festivals yet. The Kirmes (a church festival) falls in June, then there’s the annual Forest Festival, the Spring Festival, and Flea Market. Yes, on top of everything else, Vallendar’s got parties, drinking, and shopping!
Add some walking around the hiking trails and you’ve got a totally well-rounded vacation (both short-term and long-term). Now, where’s that nationally recognized spa center? After all that sightseeing I’ve got to rest a little (again)…
