Discover Retterath
Accommodation in Retterath
Anyone looking for a hotel in Retterath can get to know the town through its architectural and local history, as well as a specific circular route. The Vulkaneifel, as the wider region, also provides its own setting for nature and history topics. The distinctions below will help you put local features and regional excursions and hiking options into context.
St. Remigius Parish Church
St. Remigius Parish Church is a listed cultural monument. It was built from 1860 to 1863 from slate quarry stone in the Neo-Gothic style. Inside, you will find a rib-vaulted ceiling, some surviving Neo-Gothic furnishings, the Kleis organ from 1905 and historically reconstructed wall paintings. The church is also commonly known as the “Retterath Cathedral.”
Coat of arms and judicial history
The Retterath coat of arms depicts a flying white dove carrying a white oil flask. Both are attributes of Saint Remigius, the patron saint of the town and its parish church. Virneburg lozenges appear in the lower part of the coat of arms; the same lozenges can also be found on an 18th-century Retterath court seal. The town’s earlier history also includes a Virneburg high court staffed by three Heimburgen and seven lay judges. The coat of arms and judicial tradition thus provide two distinct historical points of reference: the church’s patron saint and the former judicial organisation.
Landscape and Circular Route 9
Retterath is one of the places in the Vulkaneifel where remnants of heathland and mat-grass grassland have been preserved. In the Vulkaneifel, surviving heathland and mat-grass landscapes are protected as nature reserves and maintained as remnants of historical land use. The landscape thus links present-day natural areas with a history of earlier land use.
Circular Route 9 offers a specific itinerary: it runs from Retterath via Holzberg, Kläppchen, Sassen and Kolverath, returning to Retterath. Check local conditions before setting out, as the route may change.
History Road in the Hochkelberg area
In the wider area around the Hochkelberg, the History Road features stops covering a wide range of topics. These include prehistoric burial mounds, old roads, fortifications, churches and chapels, as well as a V1 launch ramp, the 1945 air raid on Kelberg, the NĂĽrburgring, natural monuments and traditional Eifel economic practices. Two main routes cover about 54 kilometres in total and include more than 60 stops; additional shortcuts and loops extend the trail network. Guided history hikes in the wider Hochkelberg area last about two to four hours. If you are planning such a tour, confirm its availability before your trip.
The Vulkaneifel as a regional setting
Beyond the details of the town itself, the Vulkaneifel offers a broader geological context. To date, 77 maars have been identified in the region and 350 eruption centres counted, around 270 of them from the more recent phase. Ulmen Maar marks the most recent volcanic eruption in the Vulkaneifel, which took place about 10,900 years ago. These figures describe the region, not Retterath alone.
The Vulkaneifel’s hiking options also provide a distinct regional setting: the Vulkaneifel Trails are marked and signposted, and include half-day hikes, day hikes and multi-day hikes. When planning, you can therefore distinguish between the specifically described Circular Route 9 and the region’s broader range of hiking options.
Discover more destinations: Mosbruch, Reimerath, Berenbach, Gunderath, Nitz, Uersfeld, Drees, Borler
For the main travel overview: Kelberg.
