Genoveva Cave - Kordel

The Genoveva Cave near Kordel is a natural sandstone cave that was formed millions of years ago by a combination of geological processes.

This cave in a steep rock face is 15 meters wide, 8 meters deep and 3 meters high . It offers a mysterious and fairytale atmosphere, especially because of the incidence of light.

The cave is located in an area of Buntsandstein (bunted sandstone), a rock layer that was deposited in the Triassic period about 250 million years ago . This area was once a desert-like landscape with rivers that deposited sand and sediment. Pressure and time transformed this sand into sandstone , a relatively soft type of stone. Over millions of years , rainwater, wind and frost eroded the rock formations. Water seeped into the cracks in the sandstone and caused pieces of rock to become loose. During the ice ages, this process accelerated, as freezing water caused the rocks to crack and crumble further. This created a natural recess in the rock face , which continued to enlarge into a cave.

The Genoveva cave is located high above the Kuttbach valley on the steep southeastern slope of the Elterley, with the Hochburg castle on its northeastern spur. A scraper was found in the rubble in front of the cave, indicating that it was already in use in the late Paleolithic. In addition to prehistoric fragments , Roman and Frankish shards were also found in the rubble.

In the cave there were a number of smaller huts . The terrace that had been constructed was only accessible by ladders, ropes or climbing sticks . The holes in the beams and the beam supports are, with their deliberate regularity, still clearly visible.

The steps to the cave were hewn out of the rocks in 1910 by the local group Kordel from the Lifelverein.

The cave is named after Genevieve of Brabant , a medieval noble woman best known through the legend of Genevieve of Brabant .

Genevieve was wrongly accused of adultery by a jealous counselor. Her husband, Count Siegfried , had her banished to the forest and she is said to have lived in this cave. She survived for years with her son, helped by a deer that gave her milk. Eventually her innocence was proven and she was rehabilitated.

This legend is probably not a historical fact , but it makes the cave a special place with a romantic-mystical atmosphere .

Archaeological finds indicate that the cave was already used in prehistoric times . Hunters and gatherers from the Stone Age (possibly up to 10,000 years ago) would have lived or sheltered here temporarily. The soft sandstone offered protection from the weather.

It is a tourist attraction in the Eifel, especially for hikers and nature lovers. The combination of natural beauty, legends and history makes it a fascinating place to visit.

Willem Vandenameele