Chapel at Heilbrünnchen

The Heilbrünnchen with the Marian chapel. Here you can simply relax and listen to the rustling of the iron-rich spring. According to legend, the Scottish prince Wendelinus wandered through the land as a shepherd with his flock. One evening, while driving his sheep through the valley, he found no water source. Without hesitation, trusting firmly in God's help, he thrust his staff into the meadow, and immediately a spring gushed forth. At this spot, a wayside shrine with a statue of Saint Wendelinus was built. The spring was often sought out by the sick, as the water was believed to have healing properties for eye ailments. After citizens of Basselscheid replaced the wayside shrine with a small chapel between 1850 and 1860, the number of pilgrims steadily increased. In World War I, a seeker of help donated a statue of Mary, and the veneration shifted in favor of the Mother of God. Today, when people in Emmelshausen speak of the 'Heilbrünnchen', they primarily refer to a second spring. The mineral-rich spring below the chapel is one of the many mineral springs in the Hunsrück.