Kradenbach: Hiking in the Volcanic Eifel

Kradenbach has two circular trails that start and finish at the village community centre. The Eulenbrücke Panorama Trail is 7.7 kilometres long, and the Lieserquellenpfad Panorama Trail is 9.2 kilometres long; both are considered moderately difficult. Trail length is therefore a clear point of comparison when choosing one of the two individual routes.

The Lieserquellenpfad and other trails

The Lieserquellenpfad Panorama Trail follows the Lieser valley. Its landscape features include an oak tree more than 450 years old, views towards Hilgerath and over the upper Lieser valley, and a section through beech forest that descends into the Dörrbach valley. There are places to sit and enjoy a picnic at the source of the Lieser. The route thus combines forest, valley views and a place to take a break in one hike.

The hiking options in Kradenbach also include trails through forests and meadows along the Lieser and Dürrbach rivers, as well as towards Dreiser Stausee, Radersberg, Neichen and Sarmersbach. The landscape and the routes offer more than one perspective on the surrounding area, without all the destinations mentioned forming part of a single loop.

The Große Runde as a longer route

The Große Runde connects the two Kradenbach hiking trails and is 15 kilometres long. Walking time is about four hours and 30 minutes; the route includes 245 metres of ascent and descent. Its distance, approximate duration and elevation gain provide a concrete basis for estimating how much time a longer hike will take.

Individual trails may be affected by seasonal conditions. Before setting off, check trail conditions locally and follow the signposting.

Hiking and volcanic landscapes in the Volcanic Eifel

If you look beyond Kradenbach to the wider destination of the Volcanic Eifel, you will also find the Volcanic Eifel trails. They lead to scenic highlights on both sides of the Eifelsteig, are marked and signposted, and include half-day hikes, day hikes and multi-day hikes. One specific stage of the Eifelsteig is stage eleven: it runs from Daun to Manderscheid and is 23.4 kilometres long. The regional trail network therefore offers routes of varying lengths, while the Kradenbach circular trails form a distinct selection described locally.

The geology also gives the Volcanic Eifel its own regional context: 77 maars have been identified there so far, and 350 eruption centres have been counted, around 270 of them from the more recent period. Ulmener Maar marks the most recent volcanic eruption in the Volcanic Eifel, which took place around 10,900 years ago. These figures and this timeframe add a perspective on how the landscape was formed to the hiking experience.

The Eifel Volcano Museum in Daun displays three-dimensional landscape models of cinder cones, maars and mineral springs, as well as exhibits on West Eifel volcanism. The interactive Strohn Volcano House includes a lava fissure wall around 30,000 years old, about six metres long and four metres high. The two museums bring the geology of the Volcanic Eifel to life in different ways: one through landscape models and exhibits, the other through a large geological feature.

Discover more destinations: Gillenfeld, Darscheid, Steiningen, Saxler, Wallenborn, Oberstadtfeld, Brockscheid, Mehren.

For the main travel overview: Daun.