Rurberg on Lake Rur: Swimming, Nature and Hiking

Rurberg lies directly on Lake Rur and the Rur Dam in Eifel National Park. Activities include hiking, water sports, cycling and motorcycle tours. The Eiserbachsee natural swimming area, the National Park Gate and trails with views of the lake offer you a range of ways to plan your stay.

Swimming at Eiserbachsee

The Eiserbachsee natural swimming area is located in the Rurseezentrum Rurberg. It offers a freely accessible sunbathing lawn, a sandy section with a shallow-water area, a playground, a beach volleyball court and a football pitch. Admission is free; parking is subject to a fee. An accessible toilet is available. You can combine time by the water with a break on the sunbathing lawn or sports on the courts. Swimming is at your own risk; lifeguard supervision is available seasonally, not year-round.

National Park exhibition and ranger tour

In the wider destination of Simmerath, the Rurberg National Park Gate features the “Lifelines of Nature” exhibition, a digital terrain model of the national park and national park films. Every Saturday at 11 a.m., a free ranger tour into the Kermeter forests starts at the gate. Check the date before your visit, as the weekly program may change due to operational requirements. The exhibition and tour offer different ways to explore the national park: one inside the gate and the other out in the forests.

Hiking and cycling routes

The Rursee Heights Trail offers views over Lake Rur. The 14.2-kilometre route starts at the Rurseezentrum in Simmerath-Rurberg. In the wider destination of Simmerath, the 15.1-kilometre Panorama Trail starts at the village square in Simmerath-Strauch. It passes through typical Eifel farmland to the Michelshof wind farm and offers panoramic views along the way of the Eifel landscape, Lake Rur and the Kermeter on the opposite shore. The different starting points and route lengths make it easy to distinguish between the hiking options. For cycling, the “Around Lake Rur” tour in the destination of Simmerath covers 26 kilometres around the lake.

More swimming and rest stops in Simmerath

In the wider destination of Simmerath, the swimming area in Woffelsbach Bay is directly in the lake and is marked off with yellow swimming buoys. Swimming conditions may vary depending on the water level. The Einruhr natural swimming pool uses no chlorine or chemicals; the water is cleaned biologically in a reed pond after use. The destination of Simmerath therefore offers different swimming experiences: a marked-off area in the lake and a pool with biological water treatment.

For a break after a hike or bike ride, the hiking rest station at the Heilsteinhaus in Einruhr offers a place to relax and have a picnic. The Einruhr National Park information point is at the same location and provides information about activities in the Eifel National Park Adventure Region. The Rurberg cemetery is accessible around the clock.

Discover more destinations: Alsdorf, Baesweiler, Herzogenrath, Lammersdorf, Würselen, Aachen, Eschweiler, Monschau

Go to the main travel overview: Aachen.