Hochscheid

Hochscheid is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.GeographyLocationThis rural municipality lies in the middle of low-mountain country in the Hunsrück, at the foot of the Idarkopf. Hochscheid belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Bernkastel-Kues, whose seat is in the like-named town.Neighbouring municipalitiesNeighbouring municipalities within a five-kilometre radius are Horbruch (1.19 km away as the crow flies), Wahlenau (3.02 km), Hirschfeld (3.02 km), Kleinich (3.03 km) and Krummenau (3.58 km). The nearest middle centre is Bernkastel-Kues.HistorySirona’s most important sanctum stands in Hochscheid, where the inscription “DEO APOLLINI ET SANCTE SIRONE” can also be found, in which “Apollini” refers to the Celtic god Grannus, who through the Interpretatio Romana was identified with Apollo. Since Apollo and Diana were held to be godly siblings, this kinship is here transferred to Sirona and Apollo Grannus.