This tour combines parts of the cycle path network in the cycle-friendly district of Düren with the mountain bike path network in the Rureifel. The circular route is not currently signposted as a separate gravel bike tour.
The tour starts at the Rurtalbahn stop in Heimbach-Hausen. However, the Zerkall, Nideggen-Brück and Abenden stops are also suitable starting points. The tour can be shortened due to the good public transport connections.
Highlights on this route include the Rur valley lined with red sandstone cliffs, the Eifel heights with their sweeping views and the idyllic Kallbach valley. There are two rest and adventure points along the route on the RurUfer cycle path. At the Zerkall National Park information point, you can learn interesting facts about the beaver in the Eifel and, in the evenings, about the eagle owl. The picnic groups installed there invite you to linger.
Current information: Two bridges in the Kalltal valley were destroyed in the flood disaster in July 2021 and have not yet been rebuilt. Therefore, this route is currently not passable throughout.
Route description
From Hausen, we first take the RurUfer cycle path in a northerly direction via Blens to Abenden. At the Rur bridge in Abenden, we leave the RurUfer cycle path and follow the MTB signposting H (Felsen-Rundfahrt) over the Rur bridge and past the leisure center and the outdoor pool. We stay on this signposted trail of the MTB trail network "Freifahrt Eifel" until shortly before Zerkall. At the point where the Rurtalbahn crosses the Zerkaller Straße, we do not turn right onto the H-route, but turn left onto the Zerkaller (later) Bergsteiner Straße (L 11) and follow the MTB signs E (Krawutschketour) at the signpost at the Zerkall National Park information point. Passing the Renker paper factory, on whose Zerkall paper the German constitution was printed, we enter the idyllic Kalltal valley. We climb steadily up the Eifel heights to Brandenberg. At the entrance to the village, we deviate from the signposted MTB trail and instead of turning left into Brandenberger Straße, we turn right into Brandenberger Straße and follow it to the end, where it meets Nideggener Straße. Here we turn right and follow the L11 road to the entrance to Bergstein and turn left into Auf dem Stückchen. At the junction Auf dem Stückchen / Im Siebert we meet up with the Krawutschketour again. We turn right into Im Siebert and follow the MTB signposts to the cemetery. Here we can make a detour to the Krawutschketurm on the Burgberg. Otherwise, the signposted route E takes us steadily downhill to Zerkall. At the national park information point, we change to the RurUfer cycle path and cycle back towards Heimbach to our starting point in Hausen.
