Our tour of the factory takes us past the carding station, where wool was prepared for spinning, then the spinning mill and the weaving mill. In each department, an employee starts up the respective machines just for us. “A weaver needed two days to set up a loom with 2900 warp threads,” the expert explains. About ten centimetres of chequered twill appear before my eyes within just a few minutes. “This loom can do sixty shots a minute. Modern ones send the shuttle racing back and forth over a thousand times a minute, though.” I get to touch Müller’s woollen fabric and find that it is dense, made almost impermeable to air by fulling with meadow thistles. It even keeps off water thanks to the wool fibre’s hydrophobic properties. It’s the perfect material for cold, rainy winter days. 

Fortunately, that season is still a long way off. As we step out of the cloth factory, the August sun beams at us from a cloudless sky. I say my goodbyes to Dr. Lamberty and promise to return soon to see the steam engine in action. I would love to witness the spectacle when the grand dame comes to life with a puff and the belts and wheels creak and rumble their way across all the textile factory floors.

My first glance the next morning goes into the sky: Sun! The Eifel’s Tuscany is calling me! A terrace breakfast precedes my departure for Ripsdorf, where my hike commences at the small village’s church. Instead of following a part of the popular Eifelsteig long-distance hiking trail, with a total length of 313 kilometres, my plan is to discover some of the diverse, themed 18 EifelSpuren and 94 EifelSchleifen, the shorter local hiking routes scattered across the northern Eifel region.

I have chosen an EifelSpur trail for today. Following the signpost, I cross the main road and leave the village. My path goes east, towards the sun. Gravel still crunching under my boots initially soon gives way to meadow paths lined with tall bentgrass. The view ahead reaches all the way to the rolling hills of the northern Eifel, stretching across the horizon. I am amazed at the varied scenery with small forests adding their fir-green accents to the geometric patchwork of fields, Eifel cattle chewing their cud in the shade, and farmers perched high on tractors bringing in the hay. A pleasant breeze carries the chirping of crickets and the scent of grass and warm earth to me across the late summer fields and meadows.

Along the path, nature has produced a colourful carpet of white wild carrot, yellow St. John’s wort, purple knapweed, pink field scabious, and tiny violet Carthusian pinks. Bees and bumblebees visit this buffet of flowers to exchange information about the most productive pollen providers. This is what a meadow should be looking like! I have heard that this district of Euskirchen has the greatest plant diversity in Germany to offer. The region is making an ongoing effort to protect this biodiversity by limiting fertilisation and late mowing. Farmers and biogeographers cooperate closely for this goal. Mowing is only allowed twice a year in order to preserve the abundance. The meadow is bordered by hazel bushes alternating with Scots pines and guelder rose. A squad of sparrows is escorting me to the closest cow pasture, where a group of handsome light-coloured ruminants have gathered on a sunny knoll, gazing into my lens with friendly interest without rising from where they lounge in their favourite spots.

My path continues on through woods and meadows, at times zigzagging and then again progressing in elegant sweeps. A road leads around a field with ripe wheat garnished by red poppies to a small cluster of houses with a pond surrounded by weeping willows that seem to be beckoning for a picnic.

Following a quick refreshment, I continue on along a rural avenue, past a cemetery, and through an idyllic river valley. My next highlight is going to be the Dollendorf castle ruins, locally nicknamed the finger of God. The path does indeed go up steeply towards the ruins behind a couple of houses. This marks the start of the most scenic section of my route. From the Calvary stone cross, my path leads downwards into a juniper valley. After enjoying the impressive panorama for a few minutes, I step into a cloud of juniper and pine scent. The pointy cones of the trees cover everything as far as I can see. I’d say the green makes this place even more beautiful than Tuscany could ever be.

I continue on my path along the slope, past young and older bushes and pines. Time and time again, the view captivates me, and I have to stop, take a deep breath, and absorb the soothing scent of the conifers around me. After about 13 kilometres, when the sun has gone down a little and the light has turned mild, I can once again see the Ripsdorf church tower among fields of sunflowers before me.