The Rur valley near Nideggen offers a spectacular array of sandstone cliffs that make for interesting hikes, a lot of up and down, and fantastic views. The sandstone formations have been the training ground of rockclimbers for more than 100 years. More recently, however, climbing activity is regulated to 4 areas, still offering...

The Buhlert is part of the larger Hürtgenwald Forest, between the villages of Vossenack and Schmidt, or the Kall stream and the Rur dam. It is just outside the Eifel National Park, which also means that it is less frequently visited. Different starting points are possible, for example in Kommerscheidt or Simonskall. We chose...

Einruhr is one of the most popular tourist destinations of the Eifel Nature Park. It is in a great location, at one of the salients of the Rur dam, connected to the village of Rurberg and Urft dam via a cruise on the regular steamer (in fact, a battery-powered ship). It is also in hiking distance to Vogelsang, the center of the...

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...

“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...

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...

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...

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...

This is a beautiful trail - and most of it is relatively rarely visited. The trail follows description #15 of the guidebook 'Vergessene Pfade - Harz' (lost trails) by Richard Goedecke. While the book and the trails are very beautiful and fuel the appetite for more hikes in the Harz, the actual trail descriptions can be vague. As...

This hike takes you from the little town of Ilsenburg to the Brocken summit - the highest mountain in northern Germany. The trail is named after the German poet Heinrich Heine, who is said to have travelled here. At several way points, Heinrich Heine and his poetry are remembered. It is one of the longest hiking trails to the...

This was our first trip to the Lüneburger Heide and we were thoroughly impressed - even though the Heather was not yet in blossom. The trail runs through one of the best parts of the Heide. We did the hike on a Friday, met very few people, but can imagine the crowds roaming the fields especially on weekends during holidays and...

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 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...

The old parking at the Wolfgarten trailhead seems to be no longer available, and some signs have been posted insinuating that the trails starting from here are closed for a length of about 200 meter. The suggested deviations are incomplete and the entire situations appears to be utterly confusing. Our inquiry with some locals...

Given the popularity of Monschau as the prime destination in the Northern Eifel, one may wonder whether there are alternatives to the busy tourist roads that approach the town from all directions. Indeed there are such trails. One of them follows the left bank of the Rur (seen upstream) from Grünental. The trail is - in parts...

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 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 Olef stream, before it feeds into the Olef Dam, forms the border between Germany and Belgium. It crosses right through one of the largest patches of forest in the Northern Eifel. As such, our trail is somewhat remote and requires a few minutes of planning. We opted to begin the hike at the parking place in Hollerath - the...

This has nothing to do with cold feet. Coltsfoot (tussilago farfara), or in German Huflattich, is one of the first wild flowers showing up in March - about at the same time as Daffodils. They signal the arrival of spring, and if one hasn't started to shake off the dust from the hiking boots, this is the time to do it. We selected...

A winter walk near the Höfener Mühle. Plenty of snow, glorious weather, well below the freezing point, make this hike even more desirable than in summer. The Fuhrtsbach and the Perlenbach were partly frozen. The long ascent from the valley to the Jägersief is sufficient exercise to keep warm. The shiny new shelter at the...