~ Bendorf, 10.04.2024 ~

Bendorf is a town south of Neuwied. I was driving past it and had time, so I paid it a visit.

It's not much to write home about. Many storefronts are empty, what businesses are there look run-down, the population is very Diverse, and the town lacks an identity or proper core. Not a good place.

However its St. Merdad church is an impressive building. Originally built during the 13th century, today it is actually two churches in one: Protestants occupy the older (whitewashed) part; the Neo-Romanesque annex, built at a right angle to the older basilica, is Roman Catholic.

Across the road is the entrance to a cemetery.

Set against the slope of a hill, the terraced graves rise above the rooves of the city. Between the trees providing shade, the church spires of Neuwied can be glimpsed, and in the distance the edges of the Rhine valley form the horizon. The chapel at the centre is beautiful, too.

My verdict: not the best place to live, but a great place to be buried.