Wendalinus Höhle

Wendelinushöhle

Useful Information

Location:	66640 Namborn. (49.4983107, 7.1494354)
Open:	No restrictions. [2023]
Fee:	free. [2023]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	L=6 m.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Wendalinus Höhle, 66640 Namborn.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

Wendalinus Höhle (Wendalinus Cave) is a small cave that can be freely entered. Like the nearby town of St. Wendel, it is named after St. Wendel or Wendalinus. It is only 6 meters long, but given the rocks that predominate here, it is extraordinary that there is a cave here at all. It is a natural cave after all, not old mining. The cave is located on a long-distance hiking trail, is signposted, and is also often visited during pilgrimages. However, we would like to ask you to refrain from the bad habit of lighting the cave with candles. In fact, this is forbidden by the Nature Conservation Act, but this does not stop true believers. But keep in mind that it massively disturbs the inhabitants of the cave.

Saint Wendalinus, after leaving his native Ireland, lived for some time near Trier with a landowner. This was a godless man who showed little charity.
Wendalinus tended his master's flock of sheep, and it became apparent that he was an extremely capable shepherd. Whereas previously the sheep had always given birth to one young, now twin births were the norm. Soon the flock had doubled in size. However, the envy of the other shepherds grew to the same extent. They reported to the landowner that Wendalinus would lead the herd to faraway places. And indeed, when the landowner returned from a forcible land seizure, he met Wendalinus in the area of today's St. Wendel. Immediately he reproached the shepherd for leading the sheep so far away from the farm. He wanted to slaughter one of the sheep in the evening, which he would now have to do without.
Wendalinus advised the lord of the manor to have more faith in God, because he would make it possible for the sheep to be back near Trier in the evening. But since it was a two-day walk to get there, the lord of the manor showed little faith. He drove his horse to the utmost haste, but when he reached his estate after the forced ride, Wendalinus was just moving with the flock to the farm. He had driven the sheep through this very cave in order to get to Trier in no time.
The lord of the manor was so impressed that he gave Wendalinus a piece of land on which he could build a hermitage. Today, the town of St. Wendel stands on this land.

According to another variant of the legend, St. Wendalinus miraculously led his master's flock of sheep from Baltersweiler to Tholey. A really nice variant of a cave legend of the type Smile Far Connection Legend. In addition, there is the metaphysical component with the journey through a wormhole, or however one may interpret it. This probably also explains why speleologists who are not Christian Saints could not survey the connection.