Top 15 excursion destinations

The juniper heathlands of the Vordereifel region are a real insider tip. They were created as a result of a particular form of land management.

With around 3.3 km² and a depth of 53 m, Laacher See is the largest lake in Rhineland-Palatinate. The area around the lake has been a nature reserve for almost 80 years. The last eruption of the former “Laacher volcano” occurred around 10,930 BC. B.C., about 13,000 years ago. Traces of volcanic activity can still be found in the form of volcanic outgassing, the so-called mofettes, on the eastern shore of the lake. The total ejection quantity of the outbreak at that time was about 16 km³. The eruption was one and a half times as strong as that of Pinatubo in 1991, or 6 times as strong as the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. Although Laacher See is widely regarded as the largest maar in the Vulkaneifel, it is scientifically not a maar and also not a real crater lake, but a water-filled caldera - a burglary crater that resulted from a collapse after the magma chamber was emptied below the volcanic cone. The volcanic mountain collapses and only the ring bead on the outer edge remains. Over time, the remaining boiler fills up with water. The Laacher See is in the Eifel, next to the neighboring Wehrer Kessel, the largest caldera and the only water-filled one in Central Europe.

Genovevaburg castle is a symbol of the town of Mayen. It can be seen from far and wide, towering over the town centre. Inside, it is home to the Eifelmuseum with the exhibiton "EifelTotal" and the German Slate Quarry Museum.

The historical old town of Monschau at the Rur.

The Nürburgring Green Hell - racing, business, adventure, holiday

The Urft Dam is the oldest valley dam in the Eifel and is located in the middle of the Eifel National Park. At the time, the dam was planned as the largest structure in Europe. Construction of the 266 m long wall made of quarry stones began in 1899 - in May 1905 the dam was filled with water for the first time. In addition to flood protection and energy generation, the aim of the hydraulic engineering measure was to supply the region with drinking water. With a length of 12 km, a width of up to 1 km and a maximum depth of 52 m, Lake Urft has a capacity of 45.5 million cubic metres. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

The narrow streets of Monreal, its quaint Holy Trinity Church, the massive Nepomuk Bridge over the clear flowing Elzbach and the ruins of Löwenburg and Philippsburg castles high above the town are a perfect destination for an excursion in the eastern Eifel. The red and white half-timbered houses nestle closely together in the former cloth-making town. Not only visually is Monreal an excursion destination that relaxes the soul. Café Plüsch with its cosy interior or the former signal box at the gates of the town are perfect addresses for foodies. The highlight for lovers of handicrafts is the pottery in the old school. Hikers get their money's worth on the Monrealer Ritterschlag hiking trail and are rewarded for the sometimes steep passages with wonderful views.

In the Eifel National Park centre at the Vogelsang IP “International Place”, visitors can experience nature with all their senses - indoors and outdoors. Surrounded by dense mixed deciduous forests, the modern visitors’ centre above the Urftsee lake has hosted the “Wildnis(t)räume” (“Wilderness Dreams”) exhibition - a barrier-free, interactive nature experience for people of all ages. The Eifel National Park centre is open all year round.

A natural monument of extraordinary fascination: a narrow gorge with metre-high rock faces, cool and dark. Cracks and crevices, weathered and overgrown with mosses and lichens. Anyone walking through this eye of a needle in the sandstone is walking through a 200-million-year-old seabed that harbours many secrets.

One of the last Highland moors in Europe. One particulary special nature experience are the hiking trails over wooden walkways.