Museum · Bernkastel-Kues

St. Nikolaus-Hospital (Cusanusstift)

On the Kues bank of the Moselle stands one of the most extraordinary buildings in the valley: the St. Nikolaus-Hospital, founded in 1458 by the Renaissance philosopher and cardinal Nicholas of Cusa, who was born just steps away. It is simultaneously a working retirement home, a medieval library of global significance, and a wine cellar stocked with over 160 Moselle varieties.

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The library and the chapel

The hospital's library holds medieval manuscripts of international importance — including the only complete copy of the Proverbia Grecorum — collected by Cusanus himself. Guided tours from April to October take you through the well-preserved corridors and into the Gothic chapel, where the atmosphere of the 15th century feels genuinely unbroken.

Cusanus bequeathed much of his personal wealth to establish this institution, and its walls have many stories to tell: the building still functions as a retirement home for elderly men, making it the oldest continuously operating care home in Germany.

The wine cellar vinotheque

Beneath the historic courtyard, the Moselle Wine Museum houses a vinotheque where visitors can sample up to 160 wines and sparkling wines from the Middle Moselle — bottles from celebrated estates including J.J. Prüm and Markus Molitor sit alongside smaller family producers.

This is not a tourist gimmick: the cellar is a serious wine destination where the staff explain vineyard differences, slate soil characteristics and sweetness levels with genuine expertise. A full tasting of the cellar's range costs around €30 — one of the best-value wine experiences in Germany.

The neighbourhood around it

The Cusanusstift anchors the quieter, less-visited Kues side of the twin town, where the narrow streets of Alt-Kues, the riverbank promenade along the Nikolausufer and the birthplace of Cusanus himself are all within a short stroll.

The traditional Open Wine Cellar Days in June and the Moselauenfest in July are among the annual highlights centred on this side of the Moselle bridge — a good reason to time your visit carefully.

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