The 3-Village Trail as a practical hiking plan

The HeimatSpur 3-Village Trail is a moderate circular hike covering 14.8 kilometres. The start and finish are near the parish church of St. Bartholomew in Üdersdorf; the route includes a total ascent of 307 metres. Allow around 4.5 hours for the hike. This duration is an estimate, and breaks and travel to and from the route should be factored into your day as well. The difficulty, distance and elevation gain provide a practical framework if hiking is to be the main focus of your stay.

The route passes a lava quarry, follows the Lieser and runs along natural trails beside a reservoir. The named highlights include the Üdersdorf lava quarry, the Tettscheider Weiher, the ruins of Geisenburg and a viewpoint overlooking the Lieser. This brings together geological, water-related and historical features on one hike.

Visitors to the trail can park opposite the parish church in Üdersdorf. Check the local parking regulations before travelling. Trail conditions and detours may also change; check the current route before setting out.

The Vulkaneifel as a wider travel destination

In the wider travel destination of the Vulkaneifel, geological figures help put the landscape into context: 77 maars have been identified there to date, and 350 eruption centres have been counted, including about 270 from the more recent period. The Ulmen Maar marks the most recent volcanic eruption in the Vulkaneifel, which took place around 10,900 years ago. Individual bodies of water also have their own distinctive features: the Windsborn crater lake near Bettenfeld is the only natural crater lake north of the Alps. The Gemündener Maar has a water surface of about seven hectares and is the smallest of the three famous “eyes of the Eifel”.

For longer hikes in the wider travel destination of the Vulkaneifel, the Vulkaneifel Trails range from half-day outings to multi-day hikes; they are marked and signposted. Two other routes offer a comparison in terms of distance: the Vulcano Trail is a 26.2-kilometre circular route east of Schalkenmehren. The eleventh stage of the Eifelsteig runs from Daun to Manderscheid and is 23.4 kilometres long. At 14.8 kilometres, the circular route near Üdersdorf is shorter than both; it is also described as moderate and takes around 4.5 hours.

The museums in the wider travel destination of the Vulkaneifel also cover different topics. The Eifel Volcano Museum in Daun features three-dimensional landscape models of cinder cones, maars and mineral springs, as well as exhibits on volcanism in the Western Eifel. The Strohn Volcano House is an interactive museum; its exhibits include a lava fissure wall around 30,000 years old, about six metres long and four metres high. The Gerolstein Natural History Museum displays stone records of the region’s geological history across three floors. It is considered the largest and oldest geological museum in the Eifel.

The Vulkaneifel’s historical and scenic highlights also include the Ulmen Castle ruins and the Manderscheid castles. The Ulmen ruins rise above the steep banks of the Ulmen Maar; parts of the upper castle remain. The two Manderscheid castles are separated by the narrow valley of the Lieser. At the Strohn Lava Bomb, visitors can explore how the gigantic lava bomb formed and experience the effects of volcanism in the Eifel. Local access conditions may vary; check them before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Udler, Schalkenmehren, Steineberg, Bleckhausen, Schönbach, Nohn, Strotzbüsch, Mückeln

Back to the wider travel overview: Daun.