Way of Silence - (from Marienmünster to Brenkhausen) - ecumenical pilgrimage route from Schwalenberg

The former Benedictine abbey Marienmünster has made a special name for itself as the "Abbey of Sounds": not only high-quality classical music recordings are produced here, but also numerous concerts and musical events are held. Perhaps you are lucky and during your visit you can listen to the sounds of the historic Johann-Patroclus-Möller organ in the abbey church (now a Catholic parish church). It holds the sound memory of Westphalia and is well known far beyond the region.

The 2nd stage takes you from the abbey Marienmünster first to Hungerberg. "Once you have made it up this difficult and steep path, you are satisfied and feel the peace and freedom. At this point, you are particularly close to heaven, you can breathe deeply," promises a meditation station next to Hungerberg Chapel. And indeed, if you climb the observation tower, the sky is within reach and the view extends to the Hermannsdenkmal, over the Steinheim Basin to the Ottensteiner Hochfläche and the Köterberg.

Once back down, the path leads through a beautiful avenue, past the Jewish cemetery and through the health resort of Vörden. At the wayside crosses between Vörden and Eilversen or at the rest area in Eilversen itself, you can take a break once more and strengthen yourself for the further path.

Next, you continue above the village of Bremerberg and through the forest area Heiligengeisterholz. You follow wide forest paths as well as narrow forest trails and can enjoy beautiful views again and again. In this section, you follow the historic monastery path and can already catch a glimpse of the monastery complex Brenkhausen and the place of the same name a few kilometers before the end of the second stage.

Today, the General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Germany has his headquarters in the monastery complex Brenkhausen. In the spirit of lived ecumenism and hand in hand with the Catholic church community, they revive monastic life anew. You are warmly invited to immerse yourself in this world for a moment and let yourself be told about the spirituality of the Coptic Church.