The eifelsteig
Forests, rivers and deep valleys in Western Germany
The Eifelsteig is a well-marked trail meandering through the German states of Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz along the borders of Belgium and Luxemburg. The trail offers magnificent paths through deep valleys, along pastures and delving into heavy forests, and there is always some form of river, stream or lake nearby making the trail varied and beautiful. The “tag line” for the Eifelsteig is “Just you, the water and the rocks”, and while the “just you” part isn’t always true as there are quite a lot of people hiking in these areas, there is a lot of water and a lot of rock formations to explore along the way!
Eifelsteig Part 6 – Kloster Steinfeld to Blankenheim
Roman ruins and wild forests The sixth leg of the journey took me out of Urft and along the Römerkanal wanderweg. The Eifelsteig stage had been rerouted a bit, and instead of going with the recommended diversion, I followed this
Eifelsteig Part 5 – Gemünd to Kloster Steinfeld
Leisurely stroll through the countryside The fifth leg of the journey hasn’t been too severly affected by the flooding. At first you will walk over some pretty ridges and rather deep valleys, but at the half-way mark, the trail turns
Eifelsteig Part 4: Einruhr to Gemünd
Eifelsteig part 4 All along the Urft The fourth part of the Eifelsteig offers yet another different kind of scenery than what we’ve witnessed before. The Urft river is a huge presence, and at times quite huge itself as it
Eifelsteig Part 3: Monschau to Einruhr
Into the hills properly This is a the first leg of the Eifelsteig that is a real challenge. The trail winds up and down very steep valleys as you traverse the countryside. There are literally no parts that are flat
Eifelsteig Part 2: Roetgen to Monschau
Walking along the border Roetgen is a small village right on the border between Germany and Belgium. If you know your history you might have some knowledge of the various issues these two countries have had with each other over
Eifelsteig Part 1: Kornelimünster to Roetgen
Starting in Kornelimünster The Eifelsteig starts in a small square in Kornelimünster which is a small suburb to Aachen. Aachen is easy to get to by train from a lot of large cities, and the railways are efficient, and not
The Eifelsteig has fifteen parts, starting in the outskirts of Aachen and ending in Trier some 300 kilometers later. There are ample lodgings available along the track, nestled in small villages and in the surrounding countryside. The trail is very popular so it is prudent to book some B&Bs or hotels beforehand, even though it is possible to just wing it and book as you walk. This is of course not true if you are hiking during the summer holiday season when everything is usually booked solid months in advance. Don’t be afraid to ignore the official trail division of the path either. There are a lot of places to stay in the middle of the stages, and some of them give you a lot of value for your money, if you are willing to walk a handful of extra kilometers into the next part before hunkering down for the night.
A short update for the 2021 season – quite a few places have been affected by the devastating floods in Germany and Belgium this summer. There are some minor detours to the normal route because of this, but these have been marked clearly.