Discover Simmerath: water, trails and views

In Simmerath, lakes, viewpoints, hiking and cycling routes, and a farm museum each offer something different. When planning your trip, you might first consider whether you’d like to spend more time by the water, on the trails, or enjoying a cultural attraction. The destinations and starting points mentioned are in different locations.

Water experiences and National Park Gate

In Woffelsbach Bay, the swimming area is right in the lake, marked off by yellow buoys. Swimming conditions can change with the water level. Einruhr’s natural swimming pool uses no chlorine or chemicals at all. The used water is treated biologically in a reed pond. These offer different water experiences: a swimming area marked off in the lake and a pool with biological water treatment.

The Rurberg National Park Gate in Simmerath brings together the “Lifelines of Nature” exhibition, a digital terrain model of the national park, and national park films. It is also the starting point for free guided walks in the Kermeter forests. If you plan to join a tour, check the dates in advance, as the schedule may change.

Views and trails around Simmerath

The “Wolfshügel” Eifel viewpoint sits 360 metres above Einruhr. From there, the view stretches over the village and Obersee to the Buhlert forest. The viewpoint is also useful for navigating the trails: the Eifelsteig and the local Püngelbach circular trail (No. 75) pass right by it.

The two routes are easy to distinguish by their length and starting point. The 15.1-kilometre Panorama Trail starts at the village square in Simmerath-Strauch and crosses typical Eifel farmland to the Michelshof wind farm. Along the way, there are panoramic views of the Eifel landscape, Rursee and the Kermeter on the opposite shore. The Rursee Heights Trail is 14.2 kilometres long and starts at the Rursee Centre in Simmerath-Rurberg. The Panorama Trail is therefore 0.9 kilometres longer; the starting points and the landscapes described also differ. For cycling, the 26-kilometre “Around Rursee” route goes around the lake.

After a hike or bike ride, the hiking rest stop at the Heilsteinhaus in Einruhr is 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 Experience Region. You can include both a place to rest and a source of information in your plans, without confusing them with the starting points of the routes mentioned.

Culture and the wider region

In Lammersdorf, the farm museum tells the story of life in the Eifel around the turn of the century. Tours and workshops can be booked there, including a workshop on turning grain into bread. If you’d like to attend a particular activity, confirm its availability before your trip. The museum complements the nature and trail experiences with an insight into the history of life in the Eifel.

As a wider travel destination, the Aachen urban region lies in the border triangle near the Netherlands and Belgium, in Germany’s far west. It encompasses varied natural landscapes, historic city centres, and cycling and hiking infrastructure. This regional perspective provides a broader context for planning your trip; the swimming, trail and museum destinations mentioned remain specific places to visit in Simmerath.

Discover more destinations: Einruhr, Steckenborn, Kesternich, Woffelsbach, Dedenborn; Hahn, Roetgen, Lammersdorf.

Go to the broader travel overview: Aachen.