Narzissen sind endemisch in der West-Nord-Eifel, und wer nicht hinfährt ist selber schuld. Das Perlbachtal bei Kalterherberg ist das bekannteste Narzissengebiet; weniger bekannt aber nicht weniger eindrucksvoll ist das Tal der oberen Olef. Die Tour ist ziemlich lang, mit kurzen etwas schwierigen Stellen und viel Anstieg....

Alcedo Atthis is the Kingfisher (German: Eisvogel). This trail follows some streams in the Hellenthal-Hollerath area, where - with luck - the Kingfisher may be seen. Authorities therefore created the 'Eisvogel-Trail', which we followed in part. Alas, it might have been too early in the season, we didn't see any. This is a long...

More than two hundred years ago, the "Zelt" or the "Zeilt" used to be the main road between Kalterherberg and Monschau. Monschau had a flourishing cloth manufacturing business - owing to the 'soft' waters of the Rur that originated in the high mooreland (the Venn) and therefore had a very low lime content. Many impoverished...

The hike starts in Kalterherberg, explores the Hasselbach Valley to where the Hassel Stream joins the Rur, then climbs to the Engelsley and Teufelsley (Angel's Rock and Devil's Rock). From there, the hike descends into Monschau. This is about half way into the hike. Explore Monschau and have some refreshments. Two more ascents...

Endlich schien die Sonne, und mit Verheißung auf eine Aussicht zogen wir los. Da wir zum entspannen im Schwarzwald waren, sollte es nicht Wildes sein. Winterausrüstung haben wir sowieso nicht mehr. Von Neuglashütten gibt es diese hübsche Rundtour auf gewalzten Wegen. Klar, diese Tour wäre nichts für den Sommer, aber um im...

Nächster Anlauf einer Winterwanderung in Hinterzarten. Diesmal ließen wir uns am Grillplatz Fürsatzhöhe (hinter dem Gasthaus Heiligenbrunn) absetzen. Leider waren auch da die Wege nicht gespurt. Da aber die Straßen auch noch schneebedeckt waren, gingen wir auf den - praktisch nicht befahrenen - Straße nach Breitnau. Nach...

Es hatte geschneit, und geregnet, und wieder geschneit, und das schlechte Wetter hielt an. Aber ein bischen Bewegung braucht der Mensch. Also ließen wir uns zur Lochrütte fahren, und stapften dann erst zum Fürsatzplatz (geebnet). Dort bogen wir südlich ab, später dann auf ungeräumten Pfaden bis kurz vor Hinterzarten, dann...

The Vulkaneifel (Eifel of the Volcanoes) has more to offer than just the trilogy of Maares near Daun. The Meerfelder Maar is said to be the largest of the Maares. A hike to the Meerfeld Maar can be suitably combined with hiking the Wolfsschlucht, the Mosenberg, the Windsborn crater and untold other scenic spots. In fall, you...

The Vulkaneifel is one of the most visited areas of the Eifel. Not that you would find fire-and-lava-spitting volcanoes here, but this part of the Eifel has a volcanic origin. It is best seen by the 'Maare', which are lakes in the old craters of volcanoes. Their story is in fact a little more complicated, and we suggest you visit...

The trail visits two nearby castles: Wildenburg and Reifferscheid - both of them are absolutely worth visiting. Don't be fooled by the images. This is a 15 kilometer hike through a very rural part of the rural Eifel. Records of Castle Reifferscheid are dating back to 1106. Apparently, it was a real stronghold of their owners....

The hikes starting at the Höfener Mühle are rightly known for the access to the Daffodil fields - when in season. But the area is beautiful during all times of the year. In this case, we even found Apple and Plum trees along the trails. This trail explores some of lesser known paths in the area. Particularly noteworthy is the...

'Feld, Wald and Wiesen' in German is synonymous to being rather average or common. This hike is indeed missing something grandios or spectacular, but it is a solid, rather short and pleasant hike through a very rural part of the Eifel. And it has a good combination of fields, forests and meadows. As a bonus, the hike starts and...

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...