Südumrundung um Kalterherberg

Der Steling (auch geschrieben Stehling) ist die höchste Erhebung im Kreis Aachen und deswegen schon ein begehrenswertes Ziel. Der Steling liegt am Rand des Hohen Venns, bei Mützenich. Es ist schwierig zu sagen, ob der Steling oder das Rurtal mit Monschau und seinen Kneipen eine größere Anziehungskraft auf den Wanderer ausübt....

Es ist schier unmöglich alle Highlights in der Monschauer Gegend in einer Wanderung zu erkunden. Diese Tour konzentriert sich auf das obere Rurtal, das Kloster Reichenstein, verschiedene Leys (Felsen des lokalen Schiefergesteins, die oft als Gipfel fungieren), das schöne Städtchen Monschau, und den stillen Perlbachsee. Dies ist...

Eine Wanderung im Herzen des Nationalparks Eifel. Die Wanderung beginnt am Besucherzentrum in Vogelsang. Das Anwesen war von den Nazis als Trainings- und Erziehungs Anlage für zukünftige Faschisten gebaut. Wer auch immer den Platz dafür aussuchte, hatte ein gutes Gespür für Natur und Drama. Auf der anderen Seite, die...

Diese Tour – in vielen Varianten – gehört in das Tourenbuch jeden Eifelwanderers. Wegen der dortigen Anbindung ans Nahverkehrsnetz wird die Tour meistens von Heimbach aus beschrieben (wie auch ähnlich im Kompass Wanderführer). Ein Highlight der Wanderung ist die Einkehr im Kloster Mariawald, wo der Trappisten Orden...

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 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 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...

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 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...