Hérapel
Hérapel is a western-facing mountain nose of a plateau a little over 300 meters high and was a Gallo-Roman settlement above the Rossel , a tributary of the Saar on the left . Hérapel is located at the crossroads of the major road from Metz to Worms . The originally Celtic settlement , on a 330 m high mountain spur, had its heyday under Roman rule .
Historical finds are in museums in Metz and Sarreguemines as well as in Germany, since the first excavations before the First World War took place under German administration (1871-1914).
The north and south routes of the Saar-Palatinate Way of St. James ( Hornbach - Metz ) meet again at Hérapel .
location
The remains of Hérapels are located near the border with Saarland , near the Lorraine town of Cocheren , between Saint-Avold and Forbach . Saarbrücken is about 15 km away. The surrounding forest area is the Warndt .
Helena legend
Helena , the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, is said to have lived at the Hérapel after she was cast out by her husband Constantius Chlorus in 292 . A rock grotto is still called the "Helena Chapel" today, next to it is the "Helena spring". The legend says:
“When St. Helena went to Trier to see St. Bringing the rock of Christ, she passed the Herapel castle and castle fortress ... She passed the night in the cave by the fortress wall. When they set out in the morning a miracle happened: A clear spring welled up from their storage location ... But the spring continued to bubble and is today's Helenenquelle. A small prayer house was built nearby, which the first Christians converted into a chapel and named the Born Helenenquelle "
Web links
Coordinates: 49 ° 9 ′ 13.8 ″ N , 6 ° 51 ′ 42.2 ″ E