Hiking trails by the water

The Laacher See is the largest volcanic lake in the Eifel and impresses with its geological peculiarity: mofettes - carbon dioxide bubbles - still rise from the water in several places and bear witness to its volcanic origins. Surrounded by tranquil nature, the Romanesque Maria Laach Abbey lies on the southern shore, whose medieval tunnel regulates the lake - a harmonious interplay of geological history, spirituality and idyllic landscape.

The Schalkenmehren maar, one of the three Daun maars, is embedded in the powerful landscape of the volcanic Eifel and forms the emotional center of the HeimatSpur “Maareglück”. Here you will encounter the Eifel in its most pristine form - deep blue water, steep crater walls and quiet places of power such as the maar cross allow the experience of nature and the history of the earth to merge in an impressive way.

The circular hike takes you through all stages of a maar's development, offering expansive views, quiet moments and the feeling of being one with the landscape. Schalkenmehren itself provides the crowning glory.

Lake Rursee is not only one of the largest reservoirs in Germany, but also a place where water, wilderness and vastness come together in a fascinating way. Deeply embedded in the gently rolling hills of the Eifel National Park, it shapes the landscape with its fjord-like bays, tranquil shores and ever-changing perspectives along the Wasserlandroute. The hike around the lake offers intense nature experiences - accompanied by the calming sound of the water and the scent of mossy forest floors.

The “2 Bäche-Pfad” around Hasborn, Oberscheidweiler and Niederscheidweiler surprises with exciting contrasts: gentle plateaus alternate with steeply incised valleys. Particularly impressive are the wild, wooded gorges along the Alfbach and Sammetbach streams, which are cut deep into the Devonian rock and give the tour an almost alpine character in places.

The stream trail in the NaturWanderpark delux is a fairytale hiking route that takes you along four very different streams - Alfbach, Donsbach, Ihrenbach and Dürenbach - whose bubbling waters fill the landscape with life. The Alfbach in particular, with its mystical name from Celtic tradition, is the first to accompany you and sets the mood for a sensual experience of nature, silence and legend. A magical dialog with the landscape is created between moss-covered forest floors, clear heights with distant views and quiet places of leisure by the water - sometimes gentle, sometimes powerful, but always inspiring.

This stage of the Eifelsteig impressively combines the water landscape of the Eifel with the tranquil magic of the national park: Obersee and Urftsee accompany you as living signposts, their reflective water surfaces appearing again and again between rock, forest and light. While the Obersee, with its wild shore, offers a first experience of nature, the historic Urft dam impresses with its technical masterpiece and calm power. The hike becomes a dialog between water and vastness - between dam wall and plateau, between history and boundless nature.

Varied forest and meadow sections with fantastic views and extraordinary insights into the fiery past of the Eifel. One highlight is the picturesque Waldsee Rieden lake.

The Bitburger Stausee near Biersdorf am See is nestled in the picturesque Prüm valley and offers around five kilometers of barrier-free lakeside promenade with natural sections. The route is partly asphalted, partly natural - with good accessibility right up to the dam wall. It is particularly worth a visit in summer, when the large fountain in the middle of the lake is a real eye-catcher and restaurants and cafés invite you to stop for a bite to eat.