Melsbach

Ruin of the old Melsbach Cross Church

The ruins of the Cross Church are located at the southern entrance to Melsbach, on the right-hand side of the main road (coming from Neuwied) and east of the present sports field. It stands on a flat hill and nestles against a small wood to the north. It is easily recognisable from a distance from the south.
The Cross Church was first mentioned in documents in 1399. It was a small, single-nave building in late Gothic style. The walls were made of rubble stone. There was a large front entrance to the west and a side entrance from the south. Whether there was a bell tower (ridge turret) is unknown and is considered unlikely, since such a turret was not yet common for single-nave chapels at that time. Today, the main portal, the south wall and side portal, and sparse remains of the north wall are all that remain. The south wall also shows the lower part of a window opening. The east wall is completely missing. Three steps can be seen in front of the main entrance; there may originally have been more.
Historical documents from the years 1542 and 1544 prove that Johann IV of Wied-Runkel, Count of Wied, had made generous donations. Part of the proceeds, which went to the parishes of Altwied, Feldkirchen, Oberbieber and Heddesdorf, were to be used to pay the priests of the Cross Church, among others. Even at this time, the Cross Church was a much-visited place of pilgrimage for the Augustinian nuns of Andernach. It was under the curatorial and ecclesiastical care of the Archbishop of Cologne, Hermann V of Wied, an uncle of Johann IV. It was also Hermann V who regularly initiated donations and endowments to the Wieder church parishes.

Winding tower

Not far from the ruins of the Cross Church stands the iron winding tower of the disused clay mine of Dr. C. Otto & Comp. It was built around 1938/1939. Although it is still possible to visit the winding tower today, it may no longer be climbed due to the danger of collapse.

Natural monument

Waterfall of the Laubach