Crib trail

The new attraction in the parking lot in Marktstraße is the candle arch nativity scene. It was built in 2020 by the Waldbreitbacher Krippenfreunde based on an idea by Stefan Girnstein. A candle arch is an arch of lights made of wood and is an important part of Erzgebirge folk art. The "Waldbreitbacher Krippenfreunde" have completed this candle arch with a nativity scene made of wood-carved figures by the carver Hans Klucker from Oberammergau.

Carpentered Black Forest cottage with Berkalit figures

The beautiful, hand-built wooden house and the hand-carved and hand-painted figures are family-owned and have been rebuilt at Christmas for many years.

It is impossible to concentrate on just one crib here - a large selection in the Schreiner Hertling, of course also to take away.

You can't miss the carillon at the town hall, which rang in the Advent season for the first time in 2003. 23 bells with different melodies delight the eyes and ears of visitors, and not just at Christmas time. The carillon rings daily at 10:00 h, 12:30 h, 14:30 h, 15:30 h, 16:30 h and 17:30 h.

Handmade doll figures create a wonderful scene here.

A beautiful nativity scene by potter Willi Schmitz, who you can also watch at work here.

The hand-sewn rag dolls in the crib were made by a seamstress from Düsseldorf and have been in the family for decades. Another highlight for the children this year is the winter wonderland in the right-hand shop window!

Alpine crib in log cabin style, with carved figures from South Tyrol, showing many small details. This crib was the assignment for Stefan "Charly" Girnstein's master crib builder examination in 2006 at the Landeskrippenbauschule Salzburg (Austria).

Here you can see a self-designed crib that is about 25 years old.

Nativity scene made of papier-mâché by the company Marolin from Steinach in Thuringia.

A new café in Waldbreitbach and therefore also a new stop on the Krippenweg!

Fantastic scene with lots of animals! Figures from a former monastery, 1.20m high made of plaster from 1890 - a permanent loan from Werner Bartels.

Wooden stable with high-quality figures from South Tyrol

The candle manufactory opens at the end of January in Waldbreitbach. A great new offer - let us surprise you!

This nativity scene in the shop window can be found right next to the church steps.

The life-size wooden figures come from the Ore Mountains, where filigree carving has had its home for centuries. They point the way to the Maria Himmelfahrt parish church, which houses the world's largest natural nativity scene. Four traditional figures - miner, angel, nutcracker, smoker - from the toy village of Seiffen document the long connection between two ore mining regions. The four figures were restored in 2022 by the Ambros family from Wolfenacker.

The large natural root nativity scene in the "Maria Himmelfahrt" parish church has been set up since 1989 and was entered in the Guinness Book of Records in 1998 as the largest natural root nativity scene. The more than 1,000 roots are not screwed, nailed or wired together, but simply plugged together. Total weight approx. 20 tons! It consists of 40 figures, some of them over 100 years old plaster figures, 85 animals, many living plants with a stream and native moss.

Crib display case with numerous small plastic cribs. They show the variety of nativity scenes from the 1960s/1970s with predominantly local and oriental depictions. They are all flea market finds.

Even the longest detour is worthwhile: a visit to the Germandi-Reuschenbach family's nativity scene at the "Ferienwohnung MOMENTE" can be perfectly combined with a walk.

The construction of the pyramid consists of 8 m high steel beams, a central shaft driven by an electric motor and artistically painted plastic support plates, from which the air wheel at the top of the pyramid was also made. The structure was built according to original plans from the Ore Mountains by local craftsmen. The calm circling of the Christmas pyramid - surrounded by flickering candlelight - gives the imposing Christmas pyramid a contemplative expression despite its height.

These are miniature nativity scenes "from all over the world". They are made from a wide variety of materials: clay, banana skins, stone, silver, gold-plated, in calabashes, in coconuts, from ebony, turned, or in a music box. As Jürgen Grünwald's collection now comprises around 150 nativity scenes, some of them are also on display in the window of the Grünwald Driving School (see also no. 28).

A small nativity scene in the Alter Kreuz directly in front of the Riviera ice cream parlor.

The Christmas village of Waldbreitbach won the "Best Christmas City" competition in 2018 with a unique city marketing concept and was the winner of the jury's evaluation in the small town category. The prize money was used to create a Christmas illumination on the 18-metre-high guild tree with a diameter of 6 metres and almost 10,000 LEDs.

New nativity scene in the showcase, built by Stefan Girnstein.

An absolute highlight since 2008! This terracotta nativity scene has been on display in the ground-floor rock cellar at the house since 2017. It was made by hobby artist and dentist Robert Reiprich using ferrous clay from the Westerwald and earth colors of Tuscan origin. A nativity scene from Berndorf has also been on display for several years. It was made in the 1980s by mothers in need of recuperation at the Hedwig Dransfeld Haus in Berndorf and came here in a roundabout way.

The short detour up the hill is well worth it! The chapel is somewhat hidden around the corner and is also a great photo motif from the outside.

Hand-baked nativity scene made from salt dough by master baker Schmidt.

A beautiful winter landscape including a nativity scene can be discovered in the electrical store of former mayor Karl-Willi Engels.

These are also miniature nativity scenes "from all over the world" from the collection of Jürgen Grünwald (see also Reisebüro Wiedtal No. 20).

In keeping with the "green" tradition, we would like to draw your attention beyond the crib to the plants used. Jesus of Nazareth was born in the Middle East, in the Orient. This is why this botanical nativity scene predominantly uses varieties that were also found in the area where Christ lived and worked. These include dates, olives, aloe and pomegranate as well as Lebanon cedar, acacia, pine, grapevines, willow and juniper.

At 300 years old, the village smithy is one of the oldest houses in Waldbreitbach. An original bellows, historic stone floor and other restored equipment can be admired inside. And of course there is also a nativity scene, in this case made of plaster from the 1950s.

The parish church was extensively renovated in 2012. As a result, the large natural nativity scene could not be set up that year. As an alternative, a small version was built in the snow-covered landscape on the meadow below the church. As this "emergency solution" was so well received by the guests, it has been set up every year since then. The outdoor nativity scene can now be found at a new location: in Schmiedepark / on the corner of Altes Kreuz.

Alpine nativity scene, which can be seen sheltered from the weather to the left of the main entrance.

Colorful nativity scene with roots, bark and moss. Absolute insider tip this season: the lovingly decorated Christmas terrace behind the building, where landlord Uwe offers mulled wine daily from 12:00-20:00! A nativity scene can be seen in the tent at the Strandbad campsite.

An open nativity scene with an interesting building in the background - this scene fits perfectly in the historic oil mill, one of the oldest mills of its kind in the Rhineland. The nativity scene was built and donated by H.P. Schmitz from Niederbreitbach. The figures are made of Berkalith from Kevelaer.

Nativity scene windows in the craft museum - café in the basement and museum on the upper floor are open at the weekend.

Oriental nativity scene meets boat rental, again from the hand of nativity scene maker Stefan Girnstein. Mary and Joseph's search for shelter is shown with Marolin papier-mâché figures.

The small terracotta nativity scene was purchased several years ago and has been lovingly displayed in the front garden ever since. There are also small animal figures there, which were left behind at the Waldbreitbach funfair in 1944 (!) and were used as toys by the children at the time.

The nativity scene was donated to the Christmas village this year by the Protestant parish of Westerburg. The mountain landscape is made of plastered polystyrene, the houses are carved from wood. They are said to have been made of papier-mâché around 1930.

Here you can see 6 polyresin figures up to 70 cm high in front of an idyllic half-timbered backdrop.

Property of the day: This tasteful detached house with stables from the years before Christ offers enough space for a small family with pets. If you have always dreamed of living under one roof with your ox and donkey, then this property is just right for you. Be quicker than the real estate market and arrange a viewing appointment for this beautiful property today.

A great eye-catcher here too: with light, foliage and stone, this nativity scene blends perfectly into the garden.

Wonderfully small wooden carved figures (approx. 5 cm tall) from the Erzgebirge.

A real little nativity scene exhibition has been created here this season: 1) Large nativity scene stable with 12 clay figures, presumably from Schoenstatt. 2) The crib stable was built in the 70s by Franz-Josef Eulenbach. He carved the shingles by hand. 3) The 11 Figura Santa nativity figures in modern style are made of olive wood and hand-carved. 4) The crib stable is made in Ringelai in Bavaria. The 12 nativity figures are from MAROLIN® Manufakur, Steinach in Thuringia 5) Family nativity scene from the 1950s. August Böhm bought this in Linz at Haushaltswaren Boullion from his wages from Linz Hospital

The floating nativity scene on the Wied was presented with fireworks for the first time on its 25th anniversary in 2014. Overall, the floating nativity scene is 8 m wide and the figures are up to 1.80 m high. At its longest point, it is 4 m deep and tapered so that no flotsam gets caught. The metal frame floats on a raft made of plastic tubes and the figures are cut from waterproof plastic sheets with an aluminum core. This unique nativity scene is impressively illuminated by changing colors at dusk!

The floating Advent wreath on the Wied celebrated its premiere in 2008. It has a diameter of 8 meters. Every Sunday in Advent, another candle is lit.

The three showcases were built in 2017 by the "Bräpe Jonge" around Stefan Girnstein. Funding for the materials was provided by a LEADER project. Two oriental nativity scenes with figures made of cast resin, one with plastic figures from the Fantani company in Italy. The box on the left also serves as an "outpost" of the tourist information office with up-to-date information and brochure boxes all year round.

In the Middle Ages, nativity trees were set up in a simplified form in front of churches to proclaim the birth of Jesus to people who were not allowed to enter the church.

A few years ago, the crib park around the hotel and museum was an idea of Gustel Hertling, who was still working as a hotelier at the time.

Nassen's Mühle is widely known for its hospitality, spontaneous warmth and comfortable coziness. On the terrace, where you can also see the nativity scene, there is a wooden stall with waffles and mulled wine, also to go!

These cribs have been built over the years by children and young people from Waldbreitbach and the surrounding area. The crèche trail is a small circular path through woods and meadows, the entrance is between the Vita Balance Hotel and Nassen's Mühle. The secondary school also provided active support here.

Here you can admire a lovingly designed nativity scene. The "snow landscape" in the pharmacy's shop window is also worth seeing.

This nativity scene with 17 cm tall terracotta figures from the Puig company in Spain is hidden in the shop window on the far left.

Unfortunately, the crib at the Hofmann family cannot be set up this season.

The Mother Rosa day care center presents the Christmas story with the children as it unfolds. EGLI figures from religious education practice play a key role in this. EGLI narrative figures do not have a face so that their expression is not fixed. Feelings and intentions are expressed through the characters' body language.

Here you can discover a Rhenish root crib, which was built by schoolchildren in 2012 and is changed and expanded from time to time.

The Kreuzkapelle is always worth a visit - there's a nativity scene to marvel at here too!

The St. Josefshaus exhibits a large nativity scene lovingly designed with natural materials.

This oriental nativity scene was built in 2021 by Stefan Girnstein and shows a ruined temple in which the Holy Family has symbolically found shelter. The figures are made of stucco plaster and were made around 1930. The elephant is an absolute rarity!

After crib fever broke out throughout the town, we also wanted to set up a crib in our shop window. We went back and forth until the idea of a television nativity scene was born. An old CRT television was cannibalized and converted into today's nativity scene around 17 years ago. The "First Bräpe Crib Television" was born.

The nativity scene on the Klein family's wall is also set up by nativity scene maker Stefan Girnstein.

The Glüsing family's nativity scene should be viewed up close so as not to miss any of the loving details. A large natural root towers above everything.

An alpine wooden house can be seen at the Schlich family home. Lots of moss, straw and fir green make the scene seem almost alive.

The nativity scene in the Protestant church can be seen in the lower right-hand section of the building. It consists of a large wooden stable with appropriate furnishings.

A hand-crafted crib in a tree trunk that is about 12 years old.

The Heigel family's nativity scene is a small highlight from the path to the Star of Bethlehem. It has a high-quality finish and fits wonderfully into the moss landscape in the front garden.

Small but mighty: a great nativity scene in a Christmas tree! Because Christmas trees and nativity scenes have belonged together since childhood.

The Zimmermann family's beautiful outdoor nativity scene has been on display since 2015. Once again, a large natural root plays the leading role here.

A hiking trail illuminated with 3,500 light bulbs in the forest slope above Waldbreitbach. From the tourist information office in the village to the monastery of the Franciscan nuns of Waldbreitbach, the trail is 2 km long. Around 30 nativity scenes are exhibited along the way.

In the Marienhaus crib, the focus was placed on the Holy Family, which shines in bright light.

The crib is a family crib and privately owned. It is lovingly decorated every year.