Discover Reimerath: Chapel and the Volcanic Eifel

Reimerath has its own cultural landmark in the Catholic branch chapel of St. Mary, Queen of the Rosary. When planning your trip, you can connect this local highlight with the landscapes, hiking and history of the wider travel destination of the Volcanic Eifel. If you are looking for a hotel in Reimerath, you can first consider whether you want to focus your stay primarily on culture, hiking or insights into volcanic history.

The Chapel of St. Mary, Queen of the Rosary

The chapel was built in 1950–51 and consecrated in September 1951; it received its bells in 1955. Reimerath and the chapel are under the patronage of the Queen of the Rosary. This links a specific place in Reimerath to a history whose key dates span the construction period, the consecration and the later addition of the bells. For a trip with a cultural focus, the chapel offers a clear local point of interest.

The Volcanic Eifel: landscape and geological history

As a wider travel destination, the Volcanic Eifel offers a broader geological setting. So far, 77 maars have been identified there and 350 eruption centres counted, about 270 of them from a more recent period. The Ulmen Maar marks the most recent volcanic eruption in the Volcanic Eifel, which took place about 10,900 years ago. Around Kelberg, basalt domes, gentle hills and open plateaus reflect the area's volcanic past. These landscape forms give regional trip planning a different focus from the local history of the chapel: here, geological development and landscape take centre stage.

Choosing hikes and tours

In the Volcanic Eifel, certified trails lead to geological attractions and special natural treasures. The Eifelsteig runs from Aachen through the Volcanic Eifel to Trier; Volcanic Eifel trails connect to it or branch off from it. The trails are marked and signposted, and include half-day hikes, day hikes and multi-day hikes. Circular routes range from trails for less experienced walkers to tours for seasoned, athletic hikers. You can therefore use your planned walking time and preferred level of challenge as criteria for choosing, rather than treating all hiking trails as equivalent outings.

One specific example is the 41-kilometre Hochkelberg Panorama Trail. This two-day hike loops around the Hochkelberg between Niederehe, Kelberg and Ulmen. Hiking trails around Kelberg pass through forests and open areas to viewpoints with sweeping panoramas of the Eifel. Cycling routes around Kelberg also combine nature experiences with regional history. If you are weighing up different types of tour, you will find information here both on a multi-day hike and on the landscape through which trails in the Kelberg area run.

Discover history and volcanism

The Geschichtsstraße (History Road) comprises nine themed circular routes exploring the history of the Kelberg region. The Escape Walk “1639 Sidonia – Calamity over Kelberg” is also described as a family puzzle activity in nature. Check its availability before your trip. The two offerings have different focuses: the circular routes highlight regional history, while the Escape Walk combines puzzles with time spent outdoors.

Museums in the wider travel destination of the Volcanic Eifel also explore geological history. The Eifel Volcano Museum in Daun displays three-dimensional landscape models of cinder cones, maars and mineral springs, as well as exhibits on West Eifel volcanism. The Vulkanhaus Strohn is an interactive museum; its geological exhibits include a lava fissure wall about 30,000 years old, around six metres long and four metres high. The Natural History Museum in Gerolstein is considered the Eifel's largest and oldest geological museum and displays stone evidence of the region's geological history across three floors.

If hiking is the deciding factor, the different tour durations and route profiles of the Volcanic Eifel can help you choose. If you are interested in culture and geological history, the chapel, the History Road and the regional museums offer additional thematic focuses.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Nitz, Retterath, Hörschhausen, Mosbruch, Brücktal, Uersfeld, Berenbach, Sassen.

Back to the wider travel overview: Kelberg.