Neichen on the Lieser Trail

Those considering Neichen for a hiking trip will find a direct connection to the Lieser Trail at the Neichener Drees. The spring lies at the western end of the village, right on the trail. The first stage of the Lieser Trail also passes through Neichen.

Neichener Drees: Spring on the western edge of the village

The Neichener Drees, also known as Schulldrees, is a publicly accessible mineral and carbonated spring. Seating provides a place for a short break, along with views. The water is classified as a calcium-magnesium-hydrogen carbonate acidulous spring. It does not meet the required drinking-water quality standards, so do not use the spring water as drinking water.

To get there, take the A1 exit at Gerolstein and head towards Neichen. The Drees is at the western end of the village and on the Lieser Trail. Road conditions and signs may change, so check the route shortly before you leave.

Hiking on the Lieser Trail

The first stage is 15.2 kilometres long and runs from the source of the Lieser near Boxberg to Daun. It passes through Neichen and is considered an easy to very easy hike. In Neichen, a break at one of the Dreese springs is planned. The stage details and the total length of the trail help put the planned hike into perspective: the Lieser Trail is 74 kilometres long in total.

The Lieser Trail is characterised by volcanic terrain, deep valleys, old oaks, castles and long-distance hiking. The first stage is one specific section of a longer route. When planning your hike on the Lieser Trail, consider current trail conditions as well as the distance.

Hiking trails and volcanic knowledge in the Vulkaneifel

The Vulkaneifel provides a distinctive regional context for these landscape features. To date, 77 maars have been identified there. A total of 350 eruption centres have also been counted, around 270 of them 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. These geological details describe the region and complement the local hiking perspective on Neichen.

The hiking trails in the Vulkaneifel also vary in route type and length. The Vulkaneifel trails lead to scenic highlights to the east and west of the Eifelsteig; they are marked and signposted. The selection includes half-day hikes, day hikes and multi-day hikes. More specific examples include the Eifelsteig’s eleventh stage, from Daun to Manderscheid, which is 23.4 kilometres long, and the Vulcano Trail, a 26.2-kilometre circular route east of Schalkenmehren. This gives hikers both a stage between two towns and a circular route with its own stated distance to use for orientation.

Those interested in volcanism as well as hiking will also find a variety of museum exhibits in the Vulkaneifel. 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 Vulkanhaus Strohn 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 is considered the largest and oldest geological museum in the Eifel and displays stone records of the region’s geological history across three floors.

Discover more destinations: Welcherath, Sassen, Gunderath, Reimerath, Zermüllen, Berenbach, Mosbruch, Drees.

Back to the broader travel overview: Kelberg.