Rohren – Lourdesgrot

The village of Rohren is a part of the municipality of Monschau and is located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, not far from the border with Belgium.

The Lourdes Cave was built in 1903 according to the design of Father Gerard Rademann (1851-1904), from Steyl in Dutch Limburg. The cave was created at the initiative of Franz-Josef Hesseler (1863-1942), pastor of the Sankt-Korneliskirche in Rohren (1900-1906). Residents of Rohren took part in the construction of the Lourdes Cave. More than 100 large blocks of stone and sand from the Rur River were needed for the construction of the cave.

It is remarkable that visionary Bernadette Soubirous has her own, small cave. Between the statue of Bernadette and the cave there is a fountain, and this makes the connection to the French Lourdes even clearer. The large statue of Mary stands to the right in the upper part of the cave. There are benches in front of the cave, and candles are burning inside the cave. Many ex-votos are attached to the walls of the cave, as are images of the seven Holy Helpers of Mary. Candles are burning in the Lourdes cave and stalactites have been reconstructed.

In the middle of the large cave there is a pieta placed and below it is the text “Kein Leid so tief, gein Lieb so groß, als Jesus auf der Mutterschüssel”.

The Lourdes Grotto looks very well maintained, and this is also due to the many flowers and plants inside and around the Lourdes Grotto.

There are many walks to be taken in and around Rohren, and the center of Monschau is located a few kilometers from the Lourdes Cave. Visiting the cave is highly recommended!

Address: End of Borngasse and beginning of Eifelsteig, 52156 Rohren (Monschau). The cave is located just outside the built-up area of the village.

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