Hiking tips on myths and legends

The Eifel is not only rich in natural wonders, but also in myths and legends that have been passed down for centuries. Stories of knights, mysterious apparitions, sunken castles and miraculous rescues lend the landscape a special magic. Many of these places can be wonderfully combined with a hike: Chapels, gorges, old trees or lakes become living stations where history and nature merge. Those who hike through the Eifel not only discover impressive landscapes, but also immerse themselves in a legendary world that accompanies them along the way and gives every tour a mystical touch.

The tips take you on tours through landscapes that have provided material for myths and tales for centuries.

• Klausnerweg - A place full of legends: the Schankweiler Klause
  High above Schankweiler lies a place of pilgrimage shrouded in legend: the Schankweiler Klause. According to legend, a returning crusader had a chapel built here where his horse first touched home soil again - a mysterious hoofprint in the rock still commemorates this vow today.
   
• Neuer-Burg-Weg - Legends along the way: the Schwarzbildchen
  A mystical place awaits you at the "Schwarzbildchen" near Neuerburg: a dark figure of the Virgin Mary is hidden in an ancient oak tree, which goes back to an exciting knightly legend. Today, the small chapel is a quiet place of pilgrimage - perfect for pausing during the hike and feeling the special atmosphere.
   
• HeimatSpur MaareGlück - Mysticism at the Maar: The little bell of Weinfeld
  Mysterious legends surround the little chapel on the banks of the Weinfeld Maar, also known as the "Maar of the Dead": if you ring the little bell there, you can hope for a wish. Stories of a sunken castle and miraculous rescues lend this place a mystical atmosphere that will make your hike unforgettable.
   
• Kaiser-Karl-Weg - A stone tells history: Kaiser-Karl-Bettstatt
  In the High Fens, it is said that Charlemagne once lost his way while hunting and spent the night on a mighty quartzite rock - since then it has been called the "Kaiser-Karl-Bettstatt". Today, this striking place with its refuge and benches invites you to pause for a moment and combines an experience of nature with a pinch of history.
   
• Trasshöhlenweg - Geopfad-Roure U - Nature and myth: Wolfsschlucht & Trasshöhlen
  According to legend, an ancient fire spirit called Laachus lives beneath Lake Laach, who tested people with the question: "What protects you from fire?". Only a child found the right answer - respect - whereupon the spirit came to rest. Even today, the power of the ancient fire can be felt in the Wolfsschlucht gorge and the Trasshöhlen caves and its question can be sensed in the wind.