Krinkelt/Rocherath – Lourdes Cave

The villages of Krinkelt and Rocherath have grown together, are located on the N 658 and belong to the municipality of Büllingen and the province of Liège. In this eastern part of Belgium, the native language is German. Krinkelt and Rocherath are the most eastern places in Belgium and are located close to the border with Germany.

Krinkelt and Rocherath are located at ±645 meters above sea level and are therefore the highest-lying villages in Belgium. Consequently, the Lourdes Cave is the highest-lying cave in Belgium.

The Lourdes Grotto was built in 1954 and according to a memorial stone on the outside wall of the grotto it was blessed on May 16, 1954. The grotto is located behind the church of Saint John the Baptist.

The Lourdes Grotto is beautifully situated in a garden and partly enclosed by a hedge. Beneath the image of Mary is written in German “Ich bin die Unbefleckte Empfängnis” and in Dutch “Ik ben de Onbevlekte Ontvangenis”. The large Lourdes statue stands in the upper part of the garden and just opposite it is the statue of visionary Bernadette Soubirous. In the large, bare lower part of the garden is an altar. Chairs have been placed for visitors near the grotto. The grotto makes a well-maintained impression.

In front of the Lourdes grotto stands the church, which is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist (Sint-Johannes de Doper). The church was built by Peter Joppen (+1986). The year the church was built is 1953, according to a carved stone on the outside of the building. In this place of worship, striking wall paintings from 1953 by Franz Wilhelm Griesenbrock (1916-2010) can be admired, and beautiful depictions can also be seen. Among the church’s other features is a dark statue of Mary in a chapel. There is also a depiction of colored stained glass windows of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Krinkelt/Rocherath was almost completely destroyed during the Ardennes Offensive of World War II (1939-1945). Opposite the church, on the other side of the street, there are monuments that commemorate the American soldiers who liberated this part of Belgium. The American soldiers liberated Krinkelt/Rocherath twice, namely on September 13, 1944 and January 30, 1945.

Address of Lourdes Cave: Wahlerscheider Strasse, opposite number 4, 4760 Krinkelt/Rocherath.
Church address: Vierschillingweg, 4760 Krinkelt/Rocherath.

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