Christmas Village

The floating Advent wreath on the Wied made its debut in 2008.

It has a diameter of 8 meters.

In 2018, the Christmas village of Waldbreitbach impressed the judges of the “Best Christmas City” competition with a unique town marketing concept and was named the winner in the small town category.

The prize money was used to create a Christmas light display on the 18-meter-tall guild tree, which is 6 meters in diameter and features nearly 10,000 LEDs.

The “Star of Bethlehem” is a hiking trail illuminated by 3,500 light bulbs on a forested hillside above Waldbreitbach. The star has a diameter of 60 meters and is clearly visible even from the air. The light bulbs are attached to 3.50-meter-high wooden poles and mark the path. The trail stretches just under 2 km from the local tourist information office to the Waldbreitbach Franciscan Sisters’ convent. It is not a loop trail; instead, it follows the same route back. About 30 nativity scenes are on display along the path. The Over district of Waldbreitbach and the Westerwald Clinic offer great vantage points for taking photos.

The floating nativity scene on the Wied was first presented with a fireworks display in 2014 to mark its 25th anniversary. The floating nativity scene is 8 meters wide in total, and the figures are up to 1.80 meters tall. At its deepest point, it is 4 meters deep and tapers to a point so that no debris gets caught in it. The metal frame floats on a raft made of plastic pipes, and the figures are cut from waterproof plastic sheets with an aluminum core. This one-of-a-kind nativity scene is impressively illuminated at dusk with changing colors!

The pyramid’s structure consists of 8-meter-high steel beams, a central shaft driven by an electric motor, and artistically painted plastic panels, which were also used to create the spinning wheel at the top of the pyramid. The structure was crafted by local artisans according to original plans from the Ore Mountains. The gentle rotation of the Christmas pyramid—bathed in the flickering glow of candlelight—lends this imposing structure a contemplative air, despite its height.

The life-size wooden figures come from the Ore Mountains, where intricate woodcarving has been a tradition for centuries. They point the way to the Parish Church of the Assumption, which houses the world’s largest nativity scene made of natural tree roots. Four traditional figures—a miner, an angel, a nutcracker, and a little incense-burner—from the toy-making village of Seiffen illustrate the long-standing connection between two ore-mining regions.

You can’t miss the carillon at City Hall, which first rang in the Advent season in 2003. Its 23 bells, each playing a different melody, delight visitors’ eyes and ears—and not just during the Christmas season.

The carillon rings daily at 10:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m.

The “Krippenweg,” a 2-kilometer route along the banks of the Wiede River and through the romantic village of Waldbreitbach, is perfect for a winter walk. At every turn—in private gardens and in store windows—you can admire beautiful nativity scenes. You can find more information and the GPS track here in the tour planner.

The Schwibbogen nativity scene on Marktstraße was built in 2020 by the Waldbreitbach Nativity Scene Enthusiasts.

A Schwibbogen is a wooden arch decorated with lights—also known as a Christmas arch—and is an important part of Erzgebirge folk art. Schwibbögen from the Erzgebirge have a long tradition and originated in this region of Germany.

The “Waldbreitbach Nativity Scene Enthusiasts” have complemented this Schwibbogen with a nativity scene featuring wood-carved figures by the woodcarver Hans Klucker from Oberammergau, creating the oversized Waldbreitbach Schwibbogen Nativity Scene. In doing so, the association contributes to the Christmas village of Waldbreitbach and fulfills its mission of “promoting and advancing the tradition of nativity scenes on a religious, artistic, and folkloric basis.”

In 2012, the parish church underwent extensive renovations. As a result, the large nativity scene made of natural tree roots could not be set up that year. As an alternative, a smaller version was set up in the snow-covered landscape on the meadow below the church. Since this “stopgap solution” was so well-received by visitors, it has been set up every year since then. You can now find the outdoor nativity scene at a new location: in Schmiedepark, at the corner of Altes Kreuz.

The large nativity scene made of natural roots in the “Assumption of Mary” parish church has been set up every year since 1989 and was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1998 as the largest nativity scene made of natural roots.

The more than 1,000 roots are not screwed, nailed, or wired together, but simply fitted together. Total weight: approximately 20 metric tons! It consists of 40 figures—some of which are plaster figures over 100 years old—85 animals, many live plants, a stream, and native moss. The nativity scene is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (except when a church service is scheduled on short notice).

Open by request or appointment: Gustel’s Nativity Scene and Bible World, featuring over 2,500 nativity scenes from around the world in an 800 m² exhibition space.

Here you’ll find nativity scenes from nearly every European country, as well as exotic nativity scenes from Africa, Alaska, Russia, China, and Peru.

Contact:

0151 – 59886708 or Krippenwelt1@gmail.com

Admission: Adults €6.00, group rate €5.00, children under 12 €3.00, families €15.00

The Waldbreitbach Christmas Village Association (Weihnachtsdorf Waldbreitbach e.V.), newly founded in late 2022 and one of the key participants in the Christmas Village, has installed an international Advent calendar on the historic crafts museum on the banks of the Wied. It spans two sides of the building’s facade. The doors depict Christmas scenes from Germany as well as from around the world—including some curious and little-known customs. They were designed by local graphic designer Martin Schmitz. Local kindergartens will be involved and will open the doors on specific days. Technically, each door is opened by manually unhooking the panels. Each motif is illuminated by LEDs. The project was funded by the LEADER Raiffeisen Region.

The "Große Krippenweg" ( ) will be open for hiking starting on December 23, 2026—here, before the season begins, is the list of nativity scenes to visit, shown in the second image. On the "Große Krippenweg," we’ll marvel at the variety of nativity scenes in the communities around Waldbreitbach. On various routes ranging from 10 km to 25 km, we hike through the Wiedtal monastery landscape. The trail takes us from Waldbreitbach along the “Star of Bethlehem” hiking trail to the Marienhaus Monastery, offering a magnificent panoramic view of the beautiful Wiedtal valley. From here, the trail leads over the Clausberg down into the Fockenbach Valley to Niederbreitbach. Passing the St. Josefshaus monastery church in Hausen, we hike to a point above the Wiedhof campground in Waldbreitbach and continue parallel to the Wied River to St. Michael’s Church in Roßbach. The return route takes us along the opposite bank of the Wied River, through Lache, and on to the incomparable view from the Bärenkopp in Verscheid. Passing through the Jewish cemetery, we return to Waldbreitbach and back to our starting point. We offer guided tours for groups. Dates can be arranged by appointment.

The Waldbreitbach Christkindchen Market always takes place on the 2nd and 3rd weekends of Advent (December 5–6 and December 12–13, 2026). Here you’ll find numerous booths offering Christmas specialties and festive items. The Christ Child will stop by with small gifts and be available for photos—in the afternoon on all four days.

The market is accompanied by a Sunday shopping day and an extensive program of events and concerts that will fill visitors with Christmas cheer.