Vulkaneifel area

Welcome to the Volcanic Eifel!

The Volcanic Eifel is one of the most popular holiday regions in Germany. It is centrally located in the low mountain range of the Eifel at approx. 400 m to 749 m of altitude. Geographically the Volcanic Eifel is located between the cities of Koblenz and Trier. The small town of Daun and the three famous Dauner Maare (crater lakes) are considered the centre of the Volcanic Eifel.

The Volcanic Eifel lies within the blue edging. In the west you can see the border to the neighbouring countries: Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. In the east, the course of the Rhine borders the Eifel. In the south the beautiful river Mosel.

The Maare are also called the “eyes of the Eifel" and attract many visitors and holidaymakers on the one hand because of their wonderful nature and on the other hand because of their excellent leisure opportunities. They are partly bathing lakes with very good water sports possibilities and boat rental (e.g. Schalkenmehrener Maar, Gemündener- or Pulvermaar) but you also find well-known nature reserves, hiking and fishing areas.

The Volcanic Eifel captivates with its wonderful nature. The many lakes and maars, the green meadows, idyllic valleys and deep forests attract many visitors. You can also explore various caves, ice caves and waterfalls. In winter you will often find a snow-covered scenery. Frequently, the maars and lakes are frozen.

The Eifel Nature Park delivers insight into the beautiful nature or the flora and fauna of the Eifel. You should definitely visit one of the many animal and adventure parks in the Volcanic Eifel. For example the Daun Game and Adventure Park or the Adler and Wolf Park Kasselburg near Gerolstein.

The hiking paradise Volcanic Eifel offers you hiking trails of different lengths. Visitors for example walk the famous "Eifelsteig" to explore the region. Many guests also decide for the beautiful "Lieserpfad" hiking trail between Daun and Manderscheid or use one of the countless other hiking trails.

In a well-known trade magazine cyclists and mountain bikers have chosen the Volcanic Eifel as one of the most beautiful and varied cycling regions in Germany. The Maare Moselle cycle path from Daun to Bernkastel (a former railway line) is a rather popular cycle path and provides a good opportunity to discover the Volcanic Eifel. Cyclists have also the possibility to take the bicycle bus to return from the Moselle. The "Cosmos Cycle Path" from Daun to the Meerfelder Maar has only recently been created. This cycle path is also very popular since it explains the fascination of the cosmos and the astronomy along the route of approx. 23 km.

.The newly created mountain bike course in the Volcanic Eifel offers mountain bikers fantastic routes of different lengths and difficulty levels. Every year in September you can watch one of the biggest mountain bike races in Germany or be part in it yourself. This race, the famous "Vulkanbike" race, starts and ends in Daun. A rather special event in the evening is the "night race" with a great entertainment programme in the centre of Daun.

A train ride on the tourist railway line across the Volcanic Eifel provides another unforgettable experience. You often even have the possibility to admire the wonderful landscape on board a steam locomotive.

As the name suggests, the landscape of the Volcanic Eifel is strongly influenced by the volcanoes of the region that erupted thousands of years ago. In the course of history this  led to the emergence of the maars and crater lakes. People are particularly fascinated by the landscape of the Volcanic Eifel.  The great number of river valleys is characteristic for the region. The Lieser, Kyll and Üßbach valleys are especially worth mentioning. The volcanic history regularly attracts well-known scientists who come here to carry out scientific studies on the volcanic origin and geological history of the Volcanic Eifel.

Till today this has provided many insights which the various museums (e.g. the Volcano Museum in Daun, the Maarmuseum in Manderscheid or the Volcano House in Strohn) present their visitors in a graphical and captivating way. In addition, you will find a lot of fascinating information about the geological origin of the Volcanic Eifel on the volcanic adventure trail Strohn, the Geo-Route or various geological excursions. Special geo-experience weeks are also offered. During these weeks the geology of the Volcanic Eifel is creatively presented to the visitors in a partly funny, partly scientific or even adventurous way.

If you want to look for fossils yourself, there are few better places in Germany than the Volcanic Eifel. Many finds are evidence of this. For example the spectacular discovery of the primeval horse approx. 50 million year old. This fossil was found in 1991 in the Eckfeld Trockenmaar. It is considered one of the most famous finds in the field of palaeontology and can be admired in the Maarmuseum in Manderscheid next to the oldest honey bee in the world.

The small towns of Daun, Gerolstein, Wittlich, Hillesheim, Ulmen and Manderscheid are beautiful places to visit. Here you find a variety of shops and good restaurants or cafes.

A big number of castles and palaces wait to be discovered by you in the Volcanic Eifel. Among them the beautiful and magical Eltz Castle which is internationally known. Especially the Romans have left their traces in the Volcanic Eifel. Countless Roman sites can be admired here.

When you click the button: "Leisure activities" on our website you will find a selection and presentation of the most beautiful and interesting excursion destinations and leisure activities in the region. There is also a large number of interesting links to leisure facilities and excursion destinations here in the Eifel.

We are sure you will be fascinated by the Volcanic Eifel.

We would be delighted to welcome you to this wonderful holiday region