In a bend of the Sûre, not far from today's Altschmiede campsite, stands the so-called Schmitten Cross. It looks unusual for a wayside cross, which are typical in the Eifel. No wonder: it is actually the remains of a burial monument from Roman times, which was erected in the 2nd or 3rd century AD. Apart from the capstone, it was carved from a natural sandstone rock. A box for the ashes of the deceased was embedded in the upper part of the base. The top of the tomb was a semi-circular stone decorated with reliefs, a so-called half-roll stone.

A skipper's grave? That would fit in well at this location! A stone was actually found near the base of the grave, which has since been lost, but of which there is a drawing. On one side, it shows a boat loaded with goods with a man sitting in it. The remains of an inscription were also still visible. The deceased was probably a Treverer who earned his living from shipping. His tomb probably stood on a path that ran along here and could be seen from the river.

Centuries later, a wayside cross took the place of the capstone, which has since been demolished. The monument was given its current name after this cross and the nearby ironworks, the Altschmiede.