Geological trails

Gerolstein County is part of the UNESCO-certified Vulkaneifel European Geopark.   Selected geological adventure trails, between 2,5 and 7 km long, invite you to discover actively the very special geological history of the Vulkaneifel area.

You may purchase specific flyers for all circular geo-trails at the cost of 30 Cents each in our Tourist Information Office.

Circular geo-trail „Gerolstein Dolomite Massif“

Ca. 7 km long
Ca. 3 hours to walk

Start at Tourist Information Office Gerolstein, Brunnenstraße 10



Description:
There is geology to discover at its best – from the 380 million years old “Munterley” Devonian Reef, one of the oldest preserved reef complexes of our planet Earth, to the “only” 30.000 years old Sarresdorf lava flow, the youngest lava flow in Germany.
This geo-trail is a partner trail of the “Eifelsteig”.


The description and map for downloading:

Circular geo-trail „Löwenburg and Keltenburg Dietzenley“

Ca. 3,5 km long
Ca. 1,5 hours to walk
Start at the Büschkapelle, or at the Tourist Information Office (1 hour additional walk!)

Description:
The highlight, in the true sense of the word, is the Dietzenley, with nearly 618 m height the highest mountain within Gerolstein County. Here, strategically well situated, in former times the Celts constructed an impressive wall surrounding the top of the hill. The basaltic neck on top of the Dietzenley belongs to the earliest phase of volcanic eruptions in the  Vulkaneifel.
This geo-trail is a partner trail of the “Eifelsteig”.


The description and map for downloading:

Circular geo-trail „Deserts, Water, and Volcanoes“

Ca. 4 km long
Ca. 1,5 hours to walk
Start at the small fishermen’s lake („Stausee“)


Description:
Some 235 million years ago, the Eifel was situated near the Equator and was part of a giant desert. Already at the beginning of the tour the wanderer’s curious eyes will see red sandstones that are the remnants of the equator-near giant sand desert in former times.  At the end of the round-trip the volcanic cone “Rother Hecke” will be climbed, a “magic place” recommended for “early birds”. Here at dawn a magic scenery awaits the wanderer, when the Kyll Valley still is clogged with fog, and the sun rises slowly in the east! A bit further there is an old lava sand quarry where you may observe the beauty of volcanic ash layers and watch rare birds, insects and flowers endemic to this place. Finally, you may lend yourself a bit of quiescence when resting at the small lake watching calm fishermen waiting for their prey.
This geo-trail is a partner trail of the “Eifelsteig”.

The description and map for downloading:

Circular geo-trail „Millstone and Ice Caves at Rother Kopf“

Ca. 1,5 km long
Ca. 45 minutes to walk
Start at parking lots in the woods near the caves

Description:
For centuries the basaltic scoria and lava at the “Rother Kopf” hill was exploited by carving millstones out of the rock. This was done by hand in open pits, but also in caves dug into the mountain. Soon it became evident that during the winter cold air gathered and stayed within the caves, because there was no circulation, the “ice cave” was born. For a visit to the caves you may well need a torch and a helmet, otherwise you may feel uncomfortable. After the visit to the caves the circular geo-trail through the forest is recommended which at the end rewards you with a fantastic panoramic view into the Eifel landscape.

The description and map for downloading:

Circualr geo-trail „Eifel Water and Eifel Iron around Müllenborn“

Ca. 4 km long
Ca.  2 hours to walk
Start at the parking lots near the small lake in the Müllenborn village centre, or at the “Hotel Landhaus Müllenborn”.

Description:
The special gigs in this tour are the karst springs that pour out their water in and around Müllenborn in the wild and romantic Oosbach valley. On good days, the “Utzigquelle” pours out up to 10.000 m3 of the finest water, and you may observe CO2 bubbling in the clear water, a hint towards ongoing geological activities far beyond. Reaching the villages westerly end there you can see and touch giant conglomerate blocks of the Bunter that give notice from a powerful rock avalanche during or at the end of the last ice age period.

The description and map for downloading:

Circular geo-trail „Rockeskyller Kopf Volcanic Complex“

Ca. 4,5 km long
Ca. 2 hours to walk
Start at the geo-information panel and the parking lots in Rockeskyll village centre, opposite the church.

Description:
Right in the middle of the heart of the Vulkaneifel there is the most complete volcano in Germany, the “Rockeskyller Kopf” volcanic complex. No other volcano around does exhibit so openly all the stages of the development of an Eifel volcano from the very beginning as a maar eruption through the phase of a cinder and scoria cone towards a hot and fluid lava spitting fire mountain.

Circular geo-trail „Basalt Quarries and Millstone Caves at the Mühlenberg“


Ca. 3 km long
Ca. 1,5 hours to walk
Starting at the parking area at the Mühlenberg („Waldparkplatz“) or at the parking lots in the centre of Hohenfels-Essingen.



Description:
In the quarries that dot the „Mühlenberg“ near Hohenfels-Essingen hard basaltic rock has been and still is mined in open pits. The basaltic rock is used as cobble stone, milling stone, and for plastic art work. When visiting the old milling stone caves, and the still active basalt quarry, one may well imagine how dangerous and hard the daily work was for the men working in the extinct volcano in former times.

Circular geo-trail „Birresborn Ice Caves“

Ca. 4,5  km long
Ca. 2,5 hours to walk
Starting at parking lots in the centre of Birresborn village or at the railway station

Description:
This tour leads you to the ice caves about 1,5 km to the west of Birresborn. These caves are no natural caves, but have been dug into the volcanic rock and scoria by human hands to obtain fresh milling stones. Therefore, the caves are also  called “milling stone caves”, which are under legal protection since 1938. Today, the climatic conditions prevailing in the caves are especially appreciated by bats. For their protection two out of the three caves are closed during winter time. In case you will visit the caves a torch and solid foot wear are recommended.

Circular geo-trail „Kalem Volcano and Protected Landscape“

Ca. 4,5  km long
Ca. 2,5 hours to walk
Starting at parking lots in the centre of Birresborn village or at the hotel “Kleine Villa am Turm”


Description:
The village of Birresborn – derived from the ancient Geman word for „Birgis’ house“ – is one of the oldest settlements in the Eifel. The Kalem volcano, immediately to the Nortwest of Birresborn, is on of the biggest and oldest volcanoes in the Vulkaneifel, with an age of approximately 600.00 years. A giant lava flow then erupted ploughing its way from the crater on top of the Kalem hill down into the ancient Kyll valley.

Circular geo-trail „Eigelbach Maar“

Ca. 4,5  km long
Ca.  2,5 hours to walk
Starting at the parking lots near the „Wolffhotel” in Kopp or at the parking lot near the “Stoney Cross” above Eigelbach   
 

Description:
This geo trail leads you around the 1 km wide and 120 m deep carter of the Eigelbach dry maar. Being only some hundred thousands of years old, it is still a geologically young structure in the landscape.  On this tour you will also find some of the oldest rocks of our region, Lower Devonian sandstone that are approximately 400 million years old and bear some of the oldest coal seams of planet earth.

Geo site „Baarley Lava Feeder Dike“

Ca. 750 m Southwest of Pelm village
Ca. 1 hour to walk to and from
Starting at the parking lot near the geo panel in the centre of Pelm village

Description:
In the large quarry at „Baarley“ near Pelm basaltic rock in the form of solid tuff stone, scoria, ashes, lapilli and blocks is mined for centuries. The Baarley basaltic lava feeder dike is a perfect example for showing how hot, fluid lava finally found its way to the surface during a volcanic eruption.

Den Tourenflyer zum Downloaden gibt´s hier: