In the narrows between steep, rocky cliffs and the banks of the Nahe River
lies Idar-Oberstein. Since every square meter of land is at a premium here,
the river has been covered over by the town. This means that since 1986 the
Nahe has flowed underneath the town for several kilometers. The world
famous Felsenkirche ("Rock Church") from 1482-1484, the construction of which is
traced to a story of fratricide, is built high above the old town into a vertical
rock wall and gives Idar-Oberstein quite a unique character. The steep steps
leading up to Felsenkirche are climbed every year by countless visitors from
all over the world, whose efforts however are more than rewarded by
impressive works of art there. Examples are a Gothic winged altar from 1410
and a beautiful Stumm organ from the year 1756. The setting of both the old
and the new castles high above Felsenkirche gives the visitor a feel for how
proudly enthroned above the town and valley the lords of Dhaun and
Oberstein castles were in the Middle Ages.
Photo: The gothic winged altar of the Felsenkirche from 1410.