Kapellenrundweg Gnadenweiler

Small circular hike on Gnadenweiler, a district of Bärenthal

The small hamlet of Gnadenweiler is located on the plateau above the Bäratal valley. "The first inhabitants were settled here by the Prince of Hohenzollern in Sigmaringen in 1832 on the barren soil of the Bärenthal summer pasture and laboriously wrested their livelihood from this soil. There wasn't much up here, yet around ten farms have survived. However, the small hamlet has now been a spiritual and tourist attraction for a good ten years. Since the construction and consecration of the new "Mary, Mother of Europe" chapel in 2007, this place has attracted hundreds of people every year for inner contemplation and devotion or simply to gaze in wonder. This new pilgrimage destination in the middle of the Heuberg is primarily thanks to the initiative and efforts of the Beuron monk and local parish priest of Bärenthal, Father Notker Hiegl OSB.

With the opening of the "Café Kapellenblick" a few steps away, not only was a new tourist attraction created with the support of the municipality and European funding, but the hamlet was also given a certain perspective. The visit "auf Gnadenweiler" can be wonderfully rounded off with a culinary stop.

The fact that this place has become a special place to visit in the last decade also has to do with the wonderful landscape and diverse nature around Gnadenweiler. You can experience this on a short walk along the "Kapellen-Rundweg". Whether as an after-work walk or a short afternoon tour followed by a stop for refreshments, if you follow the green hiking signs and the yellow marking circle from the center of the hamlet, you can switch off from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in no time at all. Just a few steps through the meadows, past hedges and stone bars, through typical woodland in the region, and you can literally feel your body, soul and spirit relax. If you then allow yourself a longer moment of muse and peace on the "Paterfelsen" or the "Kreuzfelsen", from where you can enjoy uplifting views of the Bäratal valley and the main town of Bärenthal - there is hardly anything more relaxing after a strenuous day or a busy week. A few contemplative moments in the inviting chapel and a cozy end to the day in the café - then you can return to the hectic world with renewed energy.