Why Kevelaer
Kevelaer is a town situated in the Kleve district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It holds the distinction of being the largest Catholic pilgrimage destination in northwestern Europe. Every year, over one million Marian worshippers, primarily arriving from Germany and the Netherlands, travel to the area to pay homage to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The site's significance as a pilgrimage center for Our Lady of Consolation stems from events in the 17th century. According to local tradition, a merchant named Hendrik Busman heard a voice three times in late 1641 instructing him to erect a chapel. Shortly after, around Pentecost, his wife Mechel experienced a illuminated vision of a chapel containing a print of Our Lady of Consolation, an image she had previously been offered by passing soldiers. Busman constructed the chapel, which was consecrated in 1642. The location quickly gained popularity among visitors, prompting the construction of a larger church between 1643 and 1645. In 1654, the original structure was replaced by the Chapel of Mercy, known locally as the Gnadenkapelle, which continues to display the original print today.
Over the centuries, the shrine in the Lower Rhine Region has received significant religious recognition. A papal decree of coronation was issued for the venerated Marian image by Pope Leo XIII in 1890, leading to a formal coronation ceremony in 1892. In 1923, Pope Pius XI elevated the shrine to the status of a Minor Basilica. Pope John Paul II also made a personal visit to the basilica in May 1987. Beyond its religious heritage, the town is referenced in German literature as the setting for Heinrich Heine's 1822 ballad, Die Wallfahrt nach Kevlaar.
Modern Kevelaer recorded a population of 28,215 residents in 2025. It maintains international cultural links through a sister-city partnership with Bury St Edmunds in the United Kingdom. Notable individuals associated with the town include Catholic prelate Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst and outsider artist Markus Meurer.
01 Weather
68°
62°
☔ 20% 
74°
61°
68°
55°
☔ 100%
66°
50°
68°
56°
☔ 52% 
65°
59°