View of the control panel in the Jugendstil-Wasserkraftwerk Heimbach, © Johannes Höhn
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When the gen­er­at­ors are si­lent

Cham­ber mu­sic elec­tri­fies at the Heim­bach power plant

From outside, there is something sacral about Heimbach hydroelectric power plant. The long hall is like the nave of a church, the two towers crowning it are visible from afar. Its appearance makes it Germany’s most beautiful Jugendstil power plant. Full of expectation, visitors stream into the interior and take their seats between large turbines. Historical instruments shine in the gallery, lamps from the Art Deco period light up the walls. “Tensions” is the motto of the chamber music festival that electrifies the public here in Eifel every year. Is electricity measurable when the musicians strike up? One thing is for sure: In every corner of the large machine hall, the audience listens excitedly as music by Dvořák, Mendelssohn, Bartók or Debussy is played and the generators are unusually silent.

In the Rureifel region

If no music is playing in the power plant, nature in and around Heimbach provides a melodic soundtrack with rustling leaves, chirping birds, and splashing water. The hydropower plant acquires its water from the Urfttal reservoir, the Eifel’s oldest reservoir. There are many ways to get there, including walking the Eifelsteig and the Wasserlandroute or cycling the track along the banks of the Rur. Once there, the visitor can enjoy impressive panorama views of the Urftsee and Obersee lakes. The reservoir is located in the middle of the Nationalpark Eifel, a very special piece of nature that offers a habitat for plants and animals, and a place where people can relax.

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  • Entrance door of the Jugenstil-Kraftwerk Heimbach, © Johannes Höhn
    Facade of the Jugendstil-Wasserkraftwerk Heimbach, © Johannes Höhn
    Heimbach power plant, © Johannes Höhn
  • Jugendstil-Wasserkraftwerk Heimbach in the Eifel, © Johannes Höhn
  • Beethoven monument "Münsterplatz Bonn", © Johannes Höhn
    Moved at the Beeth­oven House
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  • Gronau rock'n'popmuseum entrance, © Johannes Höhn
    Nos­tal­gic at the rock’n’pop­mu­seum
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  • View into the Mendelsohn hal from the Tonhalle Düsseldorf, © Johannes Höhn
    Eu­phor­ic at Ton­halle Düs­sel­dorf
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  • Landscape Park Duisburg, Ruhrgebiet, © Johannes Höhn
    En­er­get­ic at the Land­scape Park Duis­burg
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  • Haldern Pop Bar in Rees am Niederrhein, © Johannes Höhn
    Cheer­ful at Haldern Pop Bar
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  • 
Illuminations in the Balver cave in the Sauerland, © Johannes Höhn
    En­chanted in the Balve Cave
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  • 
Baroque staircase from Augustusburg Palace, © Johannes Höhn
    Over­wehlmed at Au­gus­tus­burg Palace
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  • Exhibition hall in the Waldfrieden sculpture park, © Johannes Höhn
    Amazed by Wald­frieden Sculp­ture Park
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  • Organ in Altenberg Cathedral, © Johannes Höhn
    En­rap­tured by Al­ten­berg Cath­d­ral
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  • 
University of Music in Detmold, © Johannes Höhn
    En­thu­si­ast­ic in the Uni­ver­sity of Mu­sic in Det­mold
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  • Berleburg Palace in Bad Berleburg, © Johannes Höhn
    En­nobled at Ber­le­burg Palace
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  • Köln, Dom, Außenbau, Dachbereich, Innenraum mit Schwerpunkt Fußboden und Fußbodenmosaik, © Johannes Höhn
    Im­pressed by Co­logne Cathed­ral
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  • Beverage bar in the Salon des Amateurs in Düsseldorf, © Johannes Höhn
    Chilled at Salon des Am­a­teurs in Düs­sel­dorf
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