Eifel Peak Route Cycle Path

Cyc­ling over the peaks of the Eifel: an ex­ert­ing chal­lenge with stop-offs at mu­seums, parks and ar­chi­tec­tur­al high­lights.

With frequent steep inclines through 230 kilometres of the Eifel National Park, the Eifel Peak Route is not for novices. However, the effort is rewarded with fantastic views, since the circular route leads through a hugely scenic region. The circular route takes in surprises including three scenic reservoirs and bizarre rock formations. Even leisure cyclists are not entirely excluded from this experience, since parts of the route are relatively flat and can be easily tackled by families, for example. You can also switch to an electric bicycle to make the hills a little easier to climb.

The Eifel Peak Route can be joined at any point. Numerous train stations along the Cologne-Trier section and the Rurtalbahn railway make the route easy to reach. As well as the diverse landscape of the national park, there are plenty of attractions for cyclists to discover. For example, the route passes by the Hellenthal Wildlife Park and Raptor Centre, the Rheinisches Freilichtmuseum (an open-air museum) in Kommern and the former National Socialist elite school “Ordensburg Vogelsang”, where tours offer visitors information on its history. The Kneipp spa resort of Gemünd is also worth a detour, as it is the starting point for numerous hiking tours with a ranger guiding you through the Eifel National Park.

The Erlebniswelt Eifeltor (Eifeltor Adventure World) with its dry toboggan run, crazy golf course and quad biking tours is also worth a visit for families. Architecture fans will also find plenty of delights, such as the historic mustard mill in Monschau or the Art Nouveau power plant in Heimbach. At various points along the route, cyclists can marvel at the ruins of the Roman aqueducts, which supplied water to the Romans in Cologne around 2,000 years ago.

More information:

Hellenthal Wildlife Park and Raptor Centre:
March: 9:00 to 17:00
April to October: 9:00 to 18:00
November to February: 10:00 to 17:00

LVR-Freilichtmuseum Kommern (LVR Open-Air Museum Kommern):
30 March to 31 October: Daily from 9:00 to 19:00
1 November to 31 March: Daily from 10:00 to 17:00

Vogelsang IP:
Daily from 8:00 to 20:00

Erlebniswelt Eifeltor (Eifeltor Adventure World):
Saturday before Easter holidays in NRW until 31 October:
Daily from 10:00 to 18:00, during summer holidays in NRW to 20:00.
1 to 15 November: Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 10:00 to 18:00.