Don’t have the time or desire to drive far, but still looking for some elevation while hiking? Then we wholeheartedly recommend the Eifel! After all, this low mountain range is located just across the Belgian and Dutch borders, but the many hills, valleys, and accompanying panoramas still provide a pleasant amount of vertical meters. We went for a weekend of walking in the region—a first “test trip” with our five-week-old son Fenn—and did these three beautiful hikes in the Eifel National Park.
Eifel National Park
The Eifel is actually a vast region and is therefore very versatile. In the south, for example, you’ll find the Vulkaneifel and the Hohe Eifel, and further west you’ll find the Schnee-Eifel. Our hiking weekend took place in the northern Eifel, where a national park covering 110 km² was established in 2004.
At the heart of that nature park lie the lakes of the river Rur, including several enormous reservoirs where you can swim, fish, and sail, but around which you can also enjoy beautiful trips. A well-signposted network of hiking trails makes it easy to plan routes.
We stayed in a small apartment in Einruhr, located on the banks of the Rur and an ideal base for these three hikes.
1. The panoramas of the Kermeter – 9 km
This hike crosses the Kermeter, a ridge that offers views of both the Rursee and the Urftsee with the 58-meter-high Urft Dam. On this route, you hike through deciduous forests high above the water. Here and there, you get a great panorama through the trees. We especially found the Hirschley viewpoint worth the effort. And who will be the first to spot a squirrel or a little mouse?!
At the start of the hike, near the spacious parking lot, a nature discovery trail begins. It’s a one-kilometer loop with various interactive information stations and also a small climbing forest, which is great for young children. After that, the real hike can begin!
placeswithoutdoors.com
Panoramas of the Kermeter
2. The Wasserlandroute – 10 km
The reservoirs are the hallmark of the national park, so a trip along the water is a must. For this hike, we could simply leave from our apartment in Einruhr. We followed the banks of the Obersee, sometimes through meadows and sometimes along the forest. At the municipality of Rurberg, the route signs pointed us to the other side of the Rur. There we walked further, still along the water, to the foot of the giant Urft Dam.
Although you can also cross the dam and walk back to Einruhr via the Eifelsteig route, we chose to return by boat. After all, it started to hail and we were still carrying a newborn baby with us. Besides, a boat trip like that is quite nice for a change! Every hour, a quiet, electric boat departs from the Urft Dam towards Einruhr, with a stop in Rurberg. The ticket price is 10 euros per person and the trip takes an hour. You can sit both on the deck and inside, and drinks and snacks are sold on board. You can check the departure times here.
placeswithoutdoors.com
The Wasserlandroute
3. The stations of the cross to Mariawald Abbey – 11 km
Our last hike started in the cozy, lively town of Heimbach. You’ll find many restaurants and a castle, Burg Hengebach, which is more than ten centuries old. Via a narrow and sometimes steep forest path, we followed the stations of the cross, which tell the story of Jesus’ final hours in fourteen stations. This naturally led us to the white Mariawald Abbey, where you can have a bite to eat and taste the Trappist beer brewed here. A nice stop for many hikers.
Just past the monastery, we encountered the next sight: a cemetery of honor where 414 German soldiers from WWII are buried. A serene resting place with a view. Here we dove back into the forest and descended towards the water of the reservoir, which we followed to the hydroelectric power station.
The last part of the hike runs along the other bank. After a tough climb towards the Meuchelberg, we reached a beautiful panoramic path that led us back to the parking lot in Heimbach. A lovely, varied trip!
placeswithoutdoors.com
The Stations of the Cross
