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Eifelsteig (Aachen - Trier)

Long Distance Hiking · Eifel
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Eifel Tourismus GmbH Verified partner  Explorers Choice 
  • Schalkenmehrener Maar
    Schalkenmehrener Maar
    Photo: Dominik Ketz, Eifel Tourismus GmbH
Where rock and water accompany you: The long-distance hiking trail leads in 15 stages from the imperial city of Aachen (Kornelimünster) to the Roman city of Trier over 313 kilometers.
moderate
Distance 317.6 km
93:35 h
6,863 m
6,874 m
662 m
132 m
The Eifelsteig trail is 313 kilometres long and crosses right through the Eifel, from Aachen, the city where Charlemagne was crowned, to the Roman imperial city of Trier. The Eifelsteig’s slogan is “Just you, the water and the rocks”. The constant reappearance of these two elements along the route is a characteristic feature that is very special to the region, accompanying hikers throughout their tour of the Eifel.
The premium trail is supplemented by its partner trails, the North Rhine-Westphalia trail and the Volcanic Eifel trail.
In the north, in North Rhine-Westphalia, the route begins with gentle hills which level off into flat land. Hikers looking for an alternative may prefer the mountains in Rhineland-Palatinate. The first stages are characterised by the high moors of the “Hohes Venn”, or high fen, and the beech hedges as tall as houses which provide protection against the wind. The trail continues through the Eifel National Park, with its narrow rock passages and mixed forest, to the walls of the Urft Dam.
The route then takes hikers up to the Dreiborn Plateau with the former national socialist “Ordensburg Vogelsang” fortress, before descending again to the Urft river, which flows on to Gemünd. Passing the Roman aqueduct to Cologne, the trail leads in the direction of Blankenheim, before crossing the border between North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate shortly afterwards.
Now, the landscape is dominated by the volcanicity of the West Eifel. Outstanding natural spectacles are the constantly growing Dreimühlen waterfall, the Dolomite rocks in Gerolstein, and of course, the blue eyes of the Eifel, the maars. After leaving Daun, the Eifelsteig follows the already well-known “Lieserpfad” trail before turning into the valley of the river Salm and travelling further south-westwards towards the Kyll valley. From Kordel, the route leaves the Kyll valley and via Burg Ramstein castle leads to an attraction in the middle of the forest, the “Genovevahöhle” cave. It is an impressive cave in yellow-red sedimentary rock. On the red sandstone rocks above the Moselle river, the Eifelsteig continues from Biewer to Trier the route’s final destination.
Hiking in North Rhine-Westphalia - Mountains in North Rhine-Westphalia - Hiking in Rhineland Palatinate - Mountains in Rhineland Palatinate.... The Eifel offers a wide range of different options!

Author’s recommendation

Hiking without luggage! You can find elaborated hiking tours including hotels, organized packed lunches and luggage transfers at www.eifelsteig.de
Profile picture of Wolfgang Reh
Author
Wolfgang Reh
Update: October 27, 2022
Difficulty
moderate
Technique
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Highest point
Nerother Kopf, 662 m
Lowest point
132 m
Best time of year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Track types

Asphalt 6.42%Dirt road 15.17%Forested/wild trail 57.95%Path 17.34%Road 2.40%Unknown 0.70%
Asphalt
20.4 km
Dirt road
48.2 km
Forested/wild trail
184 km
Path
55.1 km
Road
7.7 km
Unknown
2.2 km
Show elevation profile

Safety information

  • Bleibe auf den markierten Wanderwegen.
  • Halte Dich von Steilkanten und Felswänden fern (Absturzgefahr).
  • Achte gegebenenfalls auf Dein Kinder.
  • Kleine Schritte und gleichmäßiges Tempo sparen bergauf Kraft und schonen bergab die Gelenke.
  • Nehme Dir etwas zum Trinken mit, auch ohne Durst ist Trinken wichtig.
  • Und: Halte bitte die Natur sauber.

Tips and hints

Eifelsteig-Homepage www.eifelsteig.de/en

Eifel Tourismus (ET) GmbHTel.: +49 6551 96560

E-Mail: info@eifel.info

www.eifel.info

Start

Kornelimünster, Benediktusplatz (221 m)
Coordinates:
DD
50.728318, 6.182565
DMS
50°43'41.9"N 6°10'57.2"E
UTM
32U 301165 5623399
w3w 
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Destination

Trier, Weißhausparkplatz

Turn-by-turn directions

The route starts in the historic city center of Kornelimünster just outside of Aachen. Here the mountains are still hills and the path accompanies small rivers to their origin, the High Fens, a raised bog and water reservoirs. The typical Venn landscape and the high beech hedges of the Monschau region characterize the first stages. We continue through the Eifel National Park with rock passages and mixed forests along the large dams of the Northern Eifel. The Eifelsteig leads up to the Dreiborn plateau with the Wollseifen village and the former NS Ordensburg Vogelsang. Along the Olef and through small side valleys, the path reaches the Steinfeld monastery. Through floodplains and wetlands, with rare plants and butterflies, it goes through Nettersheim to Blankenheim. The Ahr rises in Blankenheim, but the Eifelsteig rises to the heights around Blankenheim. Here he crosses an extensive juniper area. The Eifelsteig soon leaves North Rhine-Westphalia and you continue to walk imperceptibly in Rhineland-Palatinate. Soon you will be in the middle of the Vulkaneifel. 380 million old dolomite rocks, volcanic crests to be climbed with beautiful views and the famous Daun Maare are on the way. In the valley of the Lieser you go on to Manderscheid. Here the ruins of the upper and lower castle rise from the valley. On the Lieser path you hike further into the valley of the Salm, past the Himmerod monastery towards the south towards the Kylltal. Here the reddish sandstone is the characteristic feature of the landscape. The Eifelsteig finally ends at the height above Germany's oldest city, Trier.

Public transport

Mit dem Zug nach Aachen, von dort weiter mit dem Bus nach Kornelimünster oder von Aachen-Brand zu Fuß über die Inde-Route. Anreise nach Trier ebenfalls mit dem Zug, Zuweg zum Eifelsteig.

Bahnverbindung - www.bahn.de

Busverbindungen - www.avv.de

By road

Nutze für die Planung Deiner Anreise mit dem PKW den Anfahrtsplaner (Button: Anfahrt planen).

Oder gebe diese als die Start-Adresse im Bereich Parken bei der jeweiligen Etappe als Ziel in Dein Navigationsgerät ein.

Parking

An den einzelnen Etappen gibt es zahlreiche Wanderparkplätze oder weitere Möglichkeiten, den Wagen in der Nähe des Starts abzustellen. 

Coordinates

DD
50.728318, 6.182565
DMS
50°43'41.9"N 6°10'57.2"E
UTM
32U 301165 5623399
w3w 
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Show on Map
Arrival by train, car, foot or bike

Book recommendation by the author

Hikeline Wanderführer: Eifelsteig - Von Aachen nach Trier Der Hikeline Wanderführer enthält alle Informationen, die Du für Deine Wanderung benötigst: exakte Karten, eine detallierte Wegbeschreibung und die wichtigsten Information zu touristischen Attraktionen und Sehenswürdigkeiten.

 

Auf Tour - unsere Rad- und Wandertipps
Die Rad- und Wanderangebote der Eifel in einem Magazin: Das Magazin "Auf Tour" stellt ausgesuchte Rad- und Wanderwege vor und gibt Tipps, was entlang und abseits der Wege entdeckt werden kann. Den Eifelsteig ohne Gepäck erwandern, eine Ziegenkäserei am Maare-Mosel-Radweg erleben oder Zeit zu Zweit auf den Felsenwegen im NaturWanderPark delux: Die wichtigsten Details zu ausgewählten Strecken mit passenden, direkt buchbaren Urlaubsangeboten ergänzen das Informationsangebot zur Planung einer Rad- oder Wanderreise in der Eifel.

Author’s map recommendations

Karte Eifelsteig
Durch eine neuartige Anordnung der Kartenelemente in Verbindung mit einer speziellen Faltung konnte der gesamte Weg (dieser hat im Kartenmaßstab immerhin eine Länge von über 6 Metern) in einer einzigen Karte der Größe 70 x 100 cm abgebildet werden. 1:50.000, Hrsg: Eifelverein

 

Kompass-Wander-Tourenkarte Eifelsteig
1:50.000, Hrsg. KOMPASS-Karten GmbH

Equipment

Bestens gerüstet mit:

  • festem, wasserdichtem Schuhwerk
  • Stöcken
  • angepasster Kleidung
  • ausreichend Rucksackverpflegung (insbesondere Wasser)

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Photos from others


Difficulty
moderate
Distance
317.6 km
Duration
93:35 h
Ascent
6,863 m
Descent
6,874 m
Highest point
662 m
Lowest point
132 m
Multi-stage route Geological highlights Flora Fauna Linear route

Statistics

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Features
2D 3D
Maps and trails
  • 15 Stages
recommended route Difficulty easy Stage 1
Distance 15.2 km
Duration 4:00 h
Ascent 321 m
Descent 128 m

The Eifelsteig trail begins in the Kornelimünster district of Aachen, a former destination for pilgrims, and brings the hiker from the bustling ...

13
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
Long Distance Hiking · Eifel
Eifelsteig Etappe 02: Roetgen - Monschau
recommended route Difficulty easy Stage 2 closed
Distance 17.3 km
Duration 4:25 h
Ascent 334 m
Descent 343 m

Lose yourself in the vastness of the Hohes Venn nature park and enjoy the absolute calm and stillness of these moors. The hedges lining the trail ...

19
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
Long Distance Hiking · Eifel
Eifelsteig Etappe 03: Monschau - Einruhr
recommended route Difficulty difficult Stage 3
Distance 24.5 km
Duration 6:30 h
Ascent 786 m
Descent 903 m

The trail ascends and descends, across high mountaintops, through deep valleys, along tall hedgerows and through the open countryside – there's no ...

17
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
Long Distance Hiking · Eifel
Eifelsteig Etappe 04: Einruhr - Gemünd
recommended route Difficulty moderate Stage 4
Distance 21.9 km
Duration 6:00 h
Ascent 574 m
Descent 509 m

Rock passages along the Rur and Urft, the plateau of Dreiborn and the former Nazi training center Vogelsang - the perfect stage for nature and ...

14
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
recommended route Difficulty moderate Stage 5
Distance 18 km
Duration 5:15 h
Ascent 491 m
Descent 313 m

The trail continues along winding paths through the colourful mixed forest climbing up to the Kuckuckslay. The shelter encourages you to rest ...

15
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
recommended route Difficulty moderate Stage 6
Distance 23.4 km
Duration 6:30 h
Ascent 490 m
Descent 545 m

At the heart of this stage, around Nettersheim, the watchword is "Eyes open!" as there are numerous relics from the Roman period for you to discover.

11
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
Long Distance Hiking · Eifel
Eifelsteig Etappe 07: Blankenheim - Mirbach
recommended route Difficulty easy Stage 7
Distance 17.7 km
Duration 5:30 h
Ascent 362 m
Descent 373 m

The woodland sections and valley crossings on this stage allow hikers to experience Nature at first hand! Viewpoints, like the "Kalvarienberg" (lit.

11
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
Long Distance Hiking · Eifel
Eifelsteig Etappe 08: Mirbach - Hillesheim
recommended route Difficulty difficult Stage 8
Distance 26.1 km
Duration 7:05 h
Ascent 405 m
Descent 437 m

It grows and grows – the Three Mills (Dreimühlen) Waterfall. Thanks to the lime deposits laid down by the River Ahbach, the Three Mills Waterfall ...

6
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
recommended route Difficulty moderate Stage 9
Distance 21.4 km
Duration 5:30 h
Ascent 426 m
Descent 491 m

The path starts in Hillesheim, leading through the Bolsdorf Tälchen outdoor recreational area, past babbling brooks to the Eishöhle and ...

8
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
Long Distance Hiking · Gerolsteiner Kalkeifel
Eifelsteig Etappe 10: Gerolstein - Daun
recommended route Difficulty difficult Stage 10
Distance 24.1 km
Duration 6:30 h
Ascent 697 m
Descent 575 m

The "climb" up the highest hill in the Gerolstein region, the Dietzenley at just under 618 metres, rewards the determined with wide panoramic views ...

10
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
Long Distance Hiking · Eifel
Eifelsteig Etappe 11: Daun - Manderscheid
recommended route Difficulty difficult Stage 11
Distance 23.3 km
Duration 7:00 h
Ascent 564 m
Descent 652 m

Past the "eyes of the Eifel", the Maare, the path leads through the quiet valley of the Lieser over small bridges and footbridges up to the castles ...

13
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
recommended route Difficulty difficult Stage 12
Distance 19.1 km
Duration 5:30 h
Ascent 518 m
Descent 592 m

Along the initial section, the Eifelsteig Trail overlaps with the well-known Lieser Trail. This section follows an adventurous rocky path on the ...

11
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
recommended route Difficulty easy Stage 13
Distance 20.7 km
Duration 6:00 h
Ascent 218 m
Descent 329 m

The "slowing down" effect of Himmerod Monastery continues on the next stage of the Eifelsteig Trail: the trail follows the varied course of the ...

6
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
Long Distance Hiking · Eifel
Eifelsteig Etappe 14: Bruch - Kordel
recommended route Difficulty difficult Stage 14
Distance 27.5 km
Duration 8:15 h
Ascent 507 m
Descent 533 m

The longest stage of the Eifelsteig Trail asks a lot of hikers, but also rewards them with a varied landscape: While the first few kilometres pass ...

4
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
Long Distance Hiking · Eifel
Eifelsteig Etappe 15: Kordel - Trier
recommended route Difficulty moderate Stage 15
Distance 18 km
Duration 5:15 h
Ascent 683 m
Descent 616 m

On the last stage of the Eifelsteig, the highlights are the wild and romantic Butzerbachtal valley and the fantastic view of Trier.

10
from Wolfgang Reh,   Eifel Tourismus GmbH
Distance  km
Duration : h
Ascent  m
Descent  m
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