Pizzo Carbonara is the second highest summit of Sicily. The hike to its summit is easy, with a visible path and markings throughout. The hike starts at Piano Battaglia, which is a Ski Resort and signposted from Cefalu. The road to Piana Battaglia is good. The summit of Pizzo Carbonara is just the highest point (by 2 meters, or...

A hike in the Land of the Springs. The Hohe Venn (Hautes Fagnes) is the source of the Statte, Sawe and Hoegne. The courses of the streams are wild and unspoilt. We visited in fall, but the area is interesting at any time of the year, for sure. The trails are often rough, but there are many footbridges and gangplanks that...

A rewarding tour, mostly along easy but very scenic forest paths, with some mountain trails typical for the German uplands. There are a few steep ascents, and generally much elevation gain and loss. The first part follows the long-distance Eifelsteig, the second follows the Ahr-River-Steig. The source of the river Ahr is in...

This is a standard for the people of the area, and good for all seasons. Most of the trail is on good forest roads and trails - only the first few hundred meters and the last are a bit rough. Part of the trail leads past the daffodil-trails (when in season). The restaurant at the Höfener Mühle is no longer open.

A varied hike that combines trails along the huge beech hedges that are so typical for the area, farmland, the secluded Kluckbach valley, and many interesting sites along the way. The hike starts in Höfen. After a few hundred meter you pass the "Alte Molkerei", which is one of the official gates to the Eifel National Park. Pay...

The trail visits Kölschkier, which is the place of a new nature-experience-and learning-trail, mainly for kids. Kölschkier is on a beautiful spot on the banks of the Perlenbach. Our trail starts near the Theissbaum in Kalterherberg, where one can avoid the stream of visitors that may come during the Daffodil season - though...

Most people experience the Wahlerscheider Forest by driving right through it, when going from Monschau to Schleiden or vice versa. It appears dark and monotone, and one has to venture off the road side to unlock its treasures. On its north-eastern side stretches the Eifel National Park, and on its south western side the...

The hike starts at the signposted parking lot of the Hotel-Restaurant 'Ferme Libert' just outside Beverce. The trail is best known for the wild valley of the Tros Marets - undoubtedly a most photogenic scenery. Here, the path is secured for a few meters with a steel rope giving the uninitiated a slightly alpine feel. This...

The creation of the Eifel National Park, together with the Fuhrtsbach Nature Reserve has created some confusion and limitations to the trail network. Here, we wanted to explore more of the interior of the Wahlerscheid area, in particular the Wermessief, a tributary of the Fuhrtsbach. (Sief is vernacular and describes the beginning...

The Tiefenbachtal (literally: deep stream valley) starts near Simmerath and connects to the Rur valley, just ahead of the Rur dam. Our trail starts at the nice hamlet of Huppenbroich with its many stylish modern village buildings. Any budding home owner can get inspiration here. We parked at the cemetery, and quickly descended...

This is a trip for those vacationing in Kalterherberg, provided they managed to secure one of the local holiday homes. The tour is a short ramble through and around Kalterherberg, which even includes a real bushwhack. Definitely a good introduction for those who want to experience this part of the Eifel. Having explored some...

The trail leads through the wild and beautiful valley of the Ruisseau de Bayehon. One of the highlights is the Cascade de Bayehon, probably the most picturesque fall in Eastern Belgium. The spectacle is particularly impressive during fall, when the rains have fed the streams and the foliage is colourful. The trail is well...

This trail figures high in the hikers blogosphere. It is also known as Nat'Our #5, it is part of the DeLux Tour Network, it is touted as the best trail in the Vianden area if not west of the river Rhine, hikers rave about the 'Felsenweg' (rocktrail) and others exult about the alpine feelings - and some worry about weather...

This is Kalterherberg at its best. For those staying over in a holiday home and wanting to barbecue in the afternoon, day visitors with a long way home, or anyone with an hour or so to spare wanting to take a trip on the wild side - this is your trail. The hike starts near the Eifeldom. Paying attention to the GPS, take a turn...

The Ehrensteinsley is not a summit, but a cliff above the steep slopes of the Rur valley. When coming from Mützenich, one actually descends to the Ehrensteinsley. For those with some energy to spare, Mützenich, the Ehrensteinsley, the Rur valley and part of the Ravel trail can be combined to a pleasant loop hike. The descend...

There was a time when anthills could be seen at every intersection in the forest. These days they are a rather rare occurrence. On this hike, we counted 14 anthills, right next to the trail. Take it as a sort of geocaching exercise. The hike starts and ends at Schönberg, a very pretty (non-touristic) village in Belgium near...

Erkensruhr, the hidden village in the Erkensruhr valley, doesn't seem to have made up its mind wether it wants to blossom or disappear from the map. The nearby Rur dam and the village of Einruhr forever seem to steal the show. This might be exactly what makes Erkensruhr the hiker's secret tip: A beautiful hidden valley, with easy...

East Belgium has a knack for creating the right mix of wilderness and accessibility, busy tourist hotspots and places that make you feel adventurous. Of course the High Venn of the Ardennes is an outstandingly beautiful eco-system that attracts hikers with its muddy trails, board walks, great vistas, and rapidly changing weather...

“Caspar David Friedrich (5 September 1774 – 7 May 1840) was a 19th-century German Romantic landscape painter, generally considered the most important German artist of his generation. He is best known for his mid-period allegorical landscapes which typically feature contemplative figures silhouetted against night skies, morning...

The Kermeter range is home to one of the largest deciduous forest areas west of the Rhine. It is also one of the key areas of the Eifel nature park. On three sides, it is encircled by the reservoirs of the Rur and Urft. We selected this hike as a training hike, with the aim of more than 700 meters elevation gain. For this, we...