Beilingen – Lourdes Cave

A special Lourdes grotto is located in Beilingen, a place in the Eifel and belongs to the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Beilingen belongs to the municipal association of Speicher.

The Lourdes Cave dates back to 1909 and according to a memorial plaque from 1999, made on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Lourdes Cave, the initiators were Nikolaus Bonertz and Matthias Thul from Beilingen. The cave is covered with lava rocks, stands among trees in an open space. There are benches at and within the cave. A statue of visionary Bernadette Soubirous is missing.

At the center of the cave is the Virgin statue and the walls of the space are covered with mosaic stones. In Latin, it reads “Mater Inviolata” (Inviolable Mother) and “Mater Intemerata (Impeccable Mother). Besides the image of Mary, other Latin words can be seen and they mean “refuge of sinners” and “rose queen”. Ex votos have been placed against the walls to pay tribute to Our Lady. In the Lourdes cave there are flowers and plants, which makes the cave even more inviting to visit.

The Lourdes grotto is very popular and the many candles are proof of that.

There are walking opportunities in and around Beilingen.

The Lourdes Cave is located 200 meters from the built-up area, on a narrow road towards Herforst.

Address: Zur Grotte, about 200 meters after number 3, 54662 Beilingen.

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