Beautiful nature and lovely cities, the Eifel has it all!
During a holiday in the Eifel, you're not far from home, and you are still in a totally different world. The Eifel is a large nature reserve on the border between Germany and Belgium. Some consider this region to be the Ardennes, others call it a separate region bordering on the Ardennes. The Eifel comprises the area between the German cities of Aachen, Cologne, Koblenz and Trier along the Belgian-German border. The best way to reach your holiday home in the Eifel, is by car. How long the drive to your holiday home in the Eifel takes, depends on the place you choose for your holiday or weekend break. Under normal traffic conditions, you can reach Aachen from Utrecht in just two hours. If you choose a holiday house in the Eifel, near south-eastern Trier, the distance from Utrecht is about 350 kilometres.
Before you book a holiday home in the Eifel, it is useful to know more about the different chains in the area. The Eifel has a very varied landscape. In the Nordeifel in the north, there are large reservoirs. The largest reservoir is the Roermeer, created by a large dam in the Roer river. A little further south, the mountains are getting higher. Here, you will find the Ahrgebirge and the Hocheifel. At 747 metres, the Hohe Acht is the highest peak in the Eifel. The south-eastern part is the Volcanic Eifel. This area is of volcanic origin, and consists of craters filled with groundwater. These Maares are surrounded by beautiful forests. You will also find river valleys, rocky outcrops and waterfalls. In the southern part, the mountains are less high. Several rivers are looking for a way through the hilly forest area towards the Moselle. The area along the Belgian border is also called the Sneeuweifel. This particular low mountain range is very densely forested, and forms a primeval landscape where rare animals and plants live. The northern part forms the Eifel National Park, and is a protected nature reserve. The southern part is also called the Southern Eifel Natural Park.
Activities in the Eifel
A holiday home in the Eifel is perfect for those who love sports activities. The Eifel is an Eldorado for hikers, cyclists, mountain bikers, and adventurers who enjoy white water sports. You not only have kayaking and canoeing to do on the many rivers, sometimes with considerable rapids and falls, but rafting and even hydro speeding too. The German Eifelverein has set out beautiful walking routes throughout the area. In the National Park alone, you can walk over 240 kilometres of well-marked routes, and the Southern Natural Park not only has a dense hiking network, but the famous Eifel-Ardennesweg too. For mountain bikers, the VulkanBike Trailpark in the Volcanic Eifel offers more than 750 kilometres of varied mountain bike tours. The routes are classified according to the level of difficulty, so you can find fun challenges here, either as a beginner or as an advanced mountain biker.
Fun places in the Eifel
Although the Eifel is largely located in Germany, a part of the Belgian Ardennes region also forms part of the Eifel. Sankt Vith is the largest town in the Belgian Eifel, where they speak German, by the way. Sankt Vith has a lot to offer tourists. Modern shops, cosy cafes and good restaurants are plentiful here! Beautiful historical buildings in the city include the Bücheltoren from the Middle Ages, and the neo-Romanesque Vitus-Basilica. The Heimatmuseum regularly hosts exhibitions. You can also find interesting sights in the immediate vicinity of the city. In Rodt, you can admire a collection of 4000 beer bottles in the Beer Museum, and in Recht, you can visit an old slate mine. The Tumulus of Schinkelsknopf, a burial mound from the Gallo-Roman period, just outside St. Vith is also interesting. If you opt for a holiday in the Eifel in the northern part, trips to Liège, Maastricht and Aachen are perfectly possible!
The German part of the Eifel has lovely cities and towns. Near Aachen, on the Belgian border in the Nordeifel, lies Monschau, located in a deep valley on the Ruhr. Historic Monschau abounds with historical architecture. The Rote Haus is best known of the beautiful half-timbered houses. Gerolstein with its mineral springs, and higher Manderscheid, both in the Volcanic Eifel, are well-known tourist places where you can find pleasant terraces and restaurants. While enjoying a beautiful view, you can relax and partake of something delicious. Cochem is just half an hour's drive from Koblenz. The beautifully restored 12th century Reichsburg is a major tourist attraction in this city on the Moselle. In historic Prüm, situated more to the west, a Benedictine monastery and the beautiful St. Salvator Basilica are the most beautiful sights. The Nürnburgring, the racing circuit known for its Formula 1 races, offers a completely different place to visit. This circuit is located in the heart of the Eifel. The beautiful southern location of Trier is also well worth a visit!