Cyclists travelling along the dedicated cycle-track along the banks of the Elbe, from Hamburg to Prague, are now able to stop and recoup their physical and spiritual energies in a special church reserved for them. The Protestant church in the village of Wesnig, near Torgau, in eastern Germany, is open for cyclists wishing to refresh their spirit; its garden has been transformed into a rest area with tables and benches, and even a barbecue area. The project is inspired by other similar churches that already exist for drivers on German autobahns. The “cyclists’ church”, where light lunches and non-alcoholic drinks will also be served, offers a programme of meditation and prayer. It will remain open all day. Visitors who use is may also count on pastoral support, if they need it. Various exhibitions are due to be held in the church: they include a travelling exhibition on tombstones, with the aim of testifying to the Christian message also by enabling visitors to see stone-carvers at work. A glasshouse with plants described in the Bible will also be installed in the garden. Various chapels for cyclists already exist in Thuringia and in Vogelsberg; others are planned for Bavaria and Lower Saxony.
