Reservoir loop, bog boardwalk or cycling route: Kell am See offers a range of options for active days. The town lies in Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park; its landscape includes the reservoir, woodland and the Ruwer, which flows through the built-up area. Water, forest and trails with different characteristics all sit alongside one another here. When planning your trip, you can decide early on whether you’d prefer to focus on a loop around the lake, a section through the bog or a cycling route.
Water, woodland and spring-fed bog
Weyrichsbruch, also known as Hochmoor, is home to a rare, well-preserved spring-fed bog. You can explore the area via a wooden boardwalk. The bog section offers a different focus from the reservoir: here, the distinctive bog landscape takes centre stage, while a loop around the lake brings the water into focus. This gives you two different natural features to choose from when selecting your routes.
The Ruwer is also part of Kell am See’s landscape: it flows through the built-up area. Together with the surrounding woodland and the reservoir, it forms a combination of water and forest landscapes, which features in different ways along the bog and hiking routes described here.
Hiking around the reservoir
A 2.2-kilometre circular route goes around the Kell reservoir. Check the route details locally before your visit. For longer outings, the Hochwald-Acht dream trail offers a different scale: this 19-kilometre route passes the reservoir in Kell am See.
Two stages of the Saar-Hunsrück-Steig also feature the reservoir in different ways: Stage 25 ends at the reservoir in Kell. Stage 26 leads from the Kell reservoir through the Rösterbruch bog, where it follows boardwalks. Trail conditions and detours on this stage may change, so check the current route in advance. The circular route, the 19-kilometre tour and the stages therefore differ both in length and in how the reservoir features in each outing.
Pedal boating and fishing are possible at the reservoir. Whether these activities are available may depend on local operating conditions.
Cycling the Ruwer-Hochwald Cycle Route
The Ruwer-Hochwald Cycle Route is a 48-kilometre route from Trier through the Ruwer Valley, via Kell am See, to Hermeskeil. Its average gradient is about one percent, and the route is suitable for families and inexperienced cyclists. More than 90 percent of the cycle route follows the former Ruwer Railway line. This describes the railway line’s former route, which the cycle path follows for the most part.
Further measurements help put individual sections into perspective. The 9.4-kilometre route from Zerf to Kell am See passes through the Keller Mulde nature reserve. The 13.3-kilometre section from Kell am See to Hermeskeil has the smallest elevation changes on the entire route. These details answer different questions: the Zerf–Kell section passes through the named protected area, while the section to Hermeskeil has the smallest elevation changes compared with the rest of the route.
Local history and other activities
Kell am See was first documented in 634 under the name Callida. This early mention of the name adds a historical reference point to the nature and route perspectives. Horse riding is also one of the outdoor activities associated with Kell am See. The options therefore go beyond hiking and cycling, with other ways to incorporate the area’s natural features into a stay.
Discover more destinations: Ralingen, Trassem, Mehring, Longuich, Kenn, Igel, Gusenburg, KlĂĽsserath
For the main travel overview: Trier-Saarburg.
