Nickenich: Romans, Tree Circle and Volcanic Landscape

Nickenich can be explored through two themes: Roman remains and volcanism. The Celtic Tree Circle and several circular trails of varying lengths round out the picture. The town is on the edge of the “Laacher See” nature reserve and along the “German Volcano Route” and the “Roman Road.” If you are planning an overnight stay, these highlights help put Nickenich in context as a travel destination: cultural sites, interpretations of trees and hiking routes each offer a different focus.

Roman Monuments and Knowledge of Trees

The tumulus is located by the Nickenich sports ground. This Roman tomb is an elaborate circular stone structure made from tuff from the Meurin Roman quarry. Another Roman monument in Nickenich is the stele tomb, which was unveiled in 2010. The combination of its function as a tomb, circular design and tuff makes the tumulus interesting for its building material as well as its Roman origins.

The Celtic Tree Circle introduces some of the ancient Celtic knowledge about trees, including the qualities attributed to them and a division of the year into periods. A path about 100 metres long leads to the site from the Keller Kreuz/Heimschule car park. There is an information board and benches for resting.

The Nickenich tree avenue is about 100 metres from the Tree Circle. It includes the “Tree of the Millennium,” a ginkgo, and the “Trees of the Year” dating from 2000 onwards. Information boards provide details about remarkable trees. The two sites have different focuses: the Tree Circle concerns traditional interpretations and periods of time, while the avenue draws attention to individual trees. The tree-related themes can therefore be explored through attributed qualities in one place and information about remarkable specimens in the other.

Circular Trails and Volcanism

The hiking routes can first be compared by length. The “Nickenicher Hochwald” circular trail is 7 kilometres long, “Rund um den Hummerich” is 9 kilometres, and “Von Aare Weg” is 9.5 kilometres. The Hochwald trail is therefore the shortest of the three circular routes listed: it is 2 kilometres shorter than the trail around the Hummerich and 2.5 kilometres shorter than Von Aare Weg. The difference between the two longer options is half a kilometre.

At 16 kilometres, the “Pellenzer Seepfad” dream trail is considerably longer. It has an elevation difference of 594 metres. Starting car parks are located at Hotel Burgklause, the Kultur- und Infoscheune, the tumulus and Keller Kreuz. In addition to its length, the Seepfad’s elevation difference provides another point of comparison with the shorter circular trails.

The Eppelsberg is a volcanic natural monument in Nickenich. The deposits that make it up came from five different volcanic eruption phases. The viewpoint can be reached after about two kilometres along a gently rising forest path with information boards about volcanism. The themes complement each other: tuff from the Meurin Roman quarry is identified as the building material of the tumulus, while the Eppelsberg focuses on deposits from different eruption phases.

Discover more destinations: Polch, Dieblich, Ochtendung, Gappenach, Einig, Niederelz, Mendig, Gering.

For the regional travel overview: Mayen-Koblenz.