Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
World War I Firing Walls
Cercle solaire du Kiischpelt
Kiischpelt’s Solar Circle
Front of the monument from the ground
Niederwald Monument
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The Big Well
This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.
Rats didn’t take over the city by being foolhardy.
Do New York City Rats Deserve Their Bad Rap?
The Secret Gardens Saving the World’s Rarest Plants
Solo travel can be challenging and sometimes lonely, but it also often leads to the greatest adventures.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Unplug on a Solo Trip?

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Luxembourg Schetzel Grotto

Schetzel Grotto

The cave of a 12th-century hermit is still visited and venerated today.

Steinsel, Luxembourg

Added By
R Rivers
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Schetzel’s Spartan hermit cave   rebeqarivers / Atlas Obscura User
Schetzel’s Spartan hermit cave   rebeqarivers / Atlas Obscura User
Schetzel’s Spartan hermit cave   rebeqarivers / Atlas Obscura User
  rebeqarivers / Atlas Obscura User
A plaque depicting Schetzel   rebeqarivers / Atlas Obscura User
A plaque detailing Schetzel’s venerated life   rebeqarivers / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Schetzel (or Schetzelo) was a hermit in the 12th century who dedicated the final years of his life to living alone in this Spartan cave in Luxembourg's Grünewald. In this hermitage, he slept on the stone floor, found food in the surrounding forest, and drew water from the Schetzelbour, a small spring located about 200 meters from the grotto.

Although details about the now-beatified Schetzel are sparse, he was probably a Cistercian monk, from the Orval monastery. The only written document of Schetzel is a report by the Archadus of Clairvaux, written down by Brother Herbertus, telling that the Archadus had met the hermit. Although Shetzel lived in isolation, people in the region would visit him seeking guidance and counsel.

After his solitary death, local monks and parishioners buried him at the entrance of his grotto and built a small, wooden chapel. In 1150, his body was transferred to the Benedict Abbey of Altmünster, where he was re-buried in a silver coffin just in front of the abbey's altar.

His relics were highly venerated and many miracles were reported to have happened at his tomb. The abbey was destroyed in 1543 and Schetzel's remains were never found again. His grotto in Grünewald was sealed for many years until a local priest reopened it in the 19th century.

Related Tags

Saints Grottoes Caves Hermits

Know Before You Go

Schetzel's hermitage cave is located in the forest and can be accessed along the Schetzel Hiking Trail. Every year on the second Sunday in August, there is a commemoration service called Schetzelfeir held outside the grotto for an annual blessing of the holy site.

Community Contributors

Added By

rebeqarivers

Published

February 15, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Schetzel Grotto
Steinsel
Luxembourg
49.667576, 6.192027

Nearby Places

Doudeg Fra

Walferdange, Luxembourg

miles away

Raschpëtzer Qanat

Walferdange, Luxembourg

miles away

Les Laboirs

Luxembourg, Luxembourg

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Europe

Places 21

Nearby Places

Doudeg Fra

Walferdange, Luxembourg

miles away

Raschpëtzer Qanat

Walferdange, Luxembourg

miles away

Les Laboirs

Luxembourg, Luxembourg

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Europe

Places 21

Related Places

  • One of the most scenic, yet lesser-visited sights in Yamagata.

    Yamagata, Japan

    Tarumizu Sanctuary

    A sacred place for ascetic training, set in a honeycomb-walled cliffside cave deep in the woods.

  • St Columba’s Cave

    Ellary, Scotland

    St. Columba’s Cave

    This remote Scottish cave has been a site of Christian pilgrimage for many centuries.

  • Buddha at Seokguram

    Gyeongju, South Korea

    Seokguram Grotto

    Visiting this grotto is symbolic of a spiritual journey into Nirvana.

  • Conca dei Marini, Italy

    Grotto dello Smeraldo

    A limestone grotto where daylight filters in from below and turns the water a beautiful turquoise. Also home to a small underwater nativity scene.

  • Grotte di Labante

    Labante, Italy

    Grotte di Labante

    South of Bologna, a limestone grotto with a protruding waterfall and a floor full of cave pearls.

  • Santa Maria Navarrese, Italy

    Grotta del Fico

    Packed with geological formations, an ancient river, and taxidermied seals, this overlooked coastal cave system is worth a spelunk.

  • The masonry wall entrance to Snib’s Cave

    Lendalfoot, Scotland

    Snib's Cave

    Near this coastal cave stands a small memorial to the hermit who made it his home for three decades.

  • The cave

    Northumberland, England

    St. Cuthbert's Cave

    A rocky outcrop where monks hid their most holy relic while escaping Danish invaders.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.