Arft – Hiking between forests and juniper heathland

Arft between forest and heathland

Arft lies amid mixed forests and protected mountain and juniper heaths in the Eastern Eifel. The heights around Arft are home to wild rose and juniper heaths, interspersed with broom and heather heaths; the usually dense juniper stands are up to three metres high in places. This creates a landscape for hikers of wooded stretches, open heathland and distinctive juniper. Hiking routes include circular trails, routes through the village and guided nature tours.

Hiking trails with different highlights

The family-friendly “Arft Circular Trail” follows well-maintained hiking paths through forest and juniper heathland, then passes through the village of Arft. The scenic Historic School Route is a 9-kilometre circular trail that combines heathland with paths through mixed forests and stretches alongside streams. The Arft Circular Trail is distinguished by its family-friendly nature and route through the village; the Historic School Route offers specific points of reference in its circular route, 9-kilometre length and stretches along streams. You can take the Historic School Route’s fixed distance into account when planning your day.

Two award-winning Eifel Dream Trails pass through the municipal area of Arft: the Bergheidenweg and the Wacholderweg. The German Alpine Club’s Jubilee Trail 100, Koblenz Section, also passes through the municipal area of Arft.

Nature tours in Arft

In the surrounding area, Wacholderwacht offers guided nature walks as well as activities for school classes or groups of five or more. The guided walks combine exercise with nature education, while the activities offer a different format. A field trip led by medicinal herb specialist Hedda Edel is also held in Arft, usually once a year. It adds an expert perspective on medicinal herbs to the area’s nature-related themes. If you would like to include the field trip in your stay, check the date in advance.

Culture in the Mayen-Koblenz destination

The wider Mayen-Koblenz destination offers further cultural attractions and museums. Genoveva Castle is one of Mayen’s landmarks and was built in 1280 by Heinrich von Finstingen, Archbishop of Trier. Sayn Foundry is an anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage and the only monument in Rhineland-Palatinate to receive this distinction. Following restoration, modern exhibitions and multimedia presentations invite visitors to explore; the foundry also offers guided tours and creative workshops.

In Mendig, the Lava-Dome is the German Volcano Museum. The Geyser Museum explains in five exhibition areas how the world’s tallest cold-water geyser works. Thus, the wider destination also offers scientific topics alongside its cultural highlights.

Hein’s Mill is the only one of the former 20 mills in Bendorf and the surrounding area that is still fully operational. The mill museum explains the stages of the milling process and the importance of the milling trade in the region. In Bendorf, St. Medard’s churches bring together the Protestant and Catholic churches under one roof, linked by the so-called Ecumenical Portal.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Urbar, Waldesch, Lonnig, Nickenich, Acht, Kruft, Mayen, Monreal

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Mayen-Koblenz.