Open Monument Day 2024: Over 350 historical places in Rhineland-Palatinate are opening their doors

From the Roman ceramics distillery to the medieval imperial palace: more than 350 historical places can be visited this Sunday on Open Monument Day. This year's motto is “Networks: Monuments and Infrastructure”.

The focus is on buildings that connect or provide for people, places and regions, as the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage (GDKE) announces. The day of action is accompanied by guided tours, exhibitions, lectures and other program items.

What is Open Monument Day?

According to the German Foundation for Monument Protection (DSD), the Open Monument Day is the largest cultural event in Germany and takes place annually on the second Sunday in September. The day of action has been coordinated nationwide by the DSD since 1993. Many monuments in Rhineland-Palatinate that are otherwise not accessible or only accessible to a limited extent can be visited on this day. Seven examples:

Imperial Palace Ingelheim

In the Imperial Palace of Ingelheim, visitors can take a journey into the early Middle Ages. The facility, founded by Charlemagne, is one of the most important of its kind, as DSD announces on its website. The focus this year is the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Aula Regia, the former throne and reception room. The new cultural mile between the Imperial Palace and the city center as well as an open-air exhibition on the history of the monument will also be presented.

Forum Alte Post in Pirmasens

Letters used to travel here, but today cultural events take place: The Alte Post Forum in Pirmasens was built in 1893 as the Royal Bavarian Post Office. According to the city, visitors can take a look at the Wilhelminian style building with its domed hall and mosaics.

Roman ceramic kilns in Rheinzabern

You can see what modern technology looked like almost 2,000 years ago in Rheinzabern near Germersheim. According to the DSD, two kilns have been preserved in their original location. During guided tours, visitors learn how the Romans produced fine ceramics here in large quantities and what importance the distillery had for trade.

Emperor Franz's celebrations in Koblenz

If you like something a little more mysterious, the Kaiser Franz Fortress is the right place for you. The former Prussian fortress offers guided tours through underground passages and the war powder magazine III. You can also discover the only surviving fortress oven from the former Koblenz-Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, as Mosellandtouristik writes on its website.

Teahouse Ruppertsberg

The historic tea house from 1844 is located in the middle of the vineyards above Ruppertsberg near Bad Dürkheim. After it was badly damaged in a fire in 2014, it was rebuilt with a lot of commitment. On Monument Open Day there will be guided tours, music, food and drinks at the popular venue.

Old sawmill/middle mill in Bellheim

According to the Palatinate Tourist Association, the Mittelmühle is considered the oldest recorded mill in Bellheim and has a history dating back to the 17th century. On Monument Open Day, the mill, which was converted into an old sawmill in the 19th century, is transformed into a cinema. Historical local films and a new film about the 750-year history of the southern Palatinate town will be shown. The program is supplemented by lectures and free guided tours.

Old Nahe bridge with bridge houses

The Old Nahe Bridge is one of the most famous landmarks in Bad Kreuznach. According to Hunsrück-Nahe Tourism, the medieval stone bridge was built around 1300 and was the most important connection between the old town and the new town for centuries. The historic bridge houses, some of which have been preserved for around 400 years, are particularly striking. On Open Monument Day, guided tours offer insights into the construction history of the bridge.