Wernerkapelle Bacharach

Wernerkapelle is a Gothic chapel ruin in Bacharach made of red sandstone with a distinctive clover-shaped floor plan positioned behind St Peter Church. The tall arches and remaining walls show the original vertical strength of this religious structure.

Construction started in 1289 and lasted around 140 years until the chapel reached its final form. In the late 1600s, French forces heavily damaged the structure during military conflicts in the region.

The chapel commemorates Werner of Oberwesel, a young person whose death in 1287 sparked tensions between religious communities in the region. People came here for centuries to remember and pray at this site.

The chapel is reached by following a marked path from Bacharach town center toward Stahleck Castle. Visit in early evening hours when lighting highlights the architectural details of the ruins.

The chapel was deliberately restored without a roof in 1996 and remains an open structure under the sky. This design directly connects the ruins to the surrounding Rhine landscape and creates an unusual experience.