Pilgrimage Chapel St. Quintin

SANKT QUINTIN St. Quintin is one of the oldest churches in the Hunsrück region. The origins of the estate Quintenach, a church of the same name, and the settlement of Karbach (then still called Büllingisheim or Bullingsheim) date back to before the year 1000, and it is even suspected to go back to the time of the Celts. St. Quintin was first mentioned in a confirmation document from the year 1109 by Pope Paschalis II. The small pilgrimage church impresses with its extraordinary appearance, a wonderful location right at the edge of the forest, and the spring of the holy Quintin right in front. It is adorned only by a gable rider instead of a large bell tower. The impressive baroque high altar, the Last Supper fresco, and the wooden figure of St. Quintin can be viewed on Sundays during the summer months. There is a legend in this area that St. Quintinus passed through our region with his flock of sheep around 800 AD. It was hot, and the valleys and heights were without water. St. Quintin (or Quentin, as it is also written) touched the ground with his staff, and a clear spring then gushed forth. It is said that the church of St. Quintin was built at this spot. The spring still flows today, right next to the entrance of the cemetery. Even in the hottest summer, it still provides water. The Legend of the Sunken Bell The St. Quintin church used to have a proper tower. However, it had become dilapidated, and the three bells that hung there had to be relocated. It is said that one was sold to Wellmich near St. Goarshausen for a load of strawberry wine. The second was placed in the St. Anna church in the center of Karbach. However, the men from Karbach had little luck with the third, the largest bell. They loaded it onto an old cart and wanted to bring it to Karbach. The roads were not developed at that time, and the meadows were very marshy. Since the bell was so heavy, a wheel broke on the way, and the bell fell from the cart onto the meadow. They quickly placed a chain around its body and harnessed horses in front to pull it onto solid ground. However, they were unsuccessful. By the next morning, the bell had already sunk deep into the swamp. It was never retrieved again. Even now, it lies there, and it is said that whoever passes by this spot on Christmas Eve around midnight can hear it ringing.