Discover Üxheim: Churches, Railway Heritage and Nature

Üxheim offers a range of options for a stay centred on architectural history, railway heritage and nature. Churches and historic buildings can be found in Niederehe, Ahütte, Leudersdorf and Üxheim; other attractions include the Ahütte Museum Station, viewpoints and destinations for hiking or cycling. The themes that interest you most can shape your choice of excursions and starting point within the destination.

Churches, Monastery and Castle

In Üxheim-Niederehe stands the lime kiln from Roman times, which was used privately until the 1930s. Also in Niederehe is the parish church of the Assumption of Mary, a Neoclassical hall church built between 1835 and 1837. The two buildings offer different historical perspectives: the Roman dating and later use of the lime kiln stand alongside a 19th-century church.

St. Leodegar in Niederehe is a former monastery church, built as a late Romanesque hall in the late 12th century. The former Premonstratensian convent complex in Niederehe was founded in 1175 and comprises a Romanesque monastery church and Baroque convent buildings. In Üxheim, the former parish church choir also recalls the late Gothic architecture of the 16th century.

The other districts also have clearly distinct architectural forms. St. Joseph in Ahütte is a two-bay Baroque hall church dating from 1705. In Leudersdorf stands St. Catherine, a three-bay hall church dating from 1734, with a Baroque wayside shrine. The ruins of Neublankenheim Castle in Ahütte date from the early 14th century: their rubble-stone masonry and four-storey defensive tower give them a different character from the churches. Those interested in public art can find the bronze sculpture St. Martin by Ulrich Henn opposite the community centre in Leudersdorf.

Railway and Local History in Ahütte

The historic Üxheim-Ahütte station was restored to its original condition 50 years after rail services ended and opened as a museum station in 2023. The collection includes exhibits, literature and timetables on the railway history of the Eifel. Regular guided tours cover the development of the village station and the former timetable and ticket sales; booking arrangements may vary.

The station café serves hot dishes such as pancakes, railway skillet and railway snack platter, as well as homemade cake. As opening arrangements may vary, it is advisable to check the latest information before planning a visit. This allows you to plan a café visit and a guided tour according to your interests, without treating them as the same experience: one is about food, the other about the history of the station.

Further traces of local history can be seen in Ahütte and Dreimühlen. The former Arenberg mill in Ahütte is a complex of three buildings and a millrace; one of the buildings bears the date 1820. The fortified house at Dreimühlen preserves the remains of an Arenberg forestry lodge, which was demolished around 1825.

Nature Destinations and Routes

The Hönselsberg Nature Reserve is located in Niederehe and is home to rare wild orchids. It can only be reached on foot; the approach via Loogh is considered particularly scenic. This distinction matters when planning: the 11-Dörfer-Blick viewpoint in Leudersdorf, by contrast, is accessible by car and offers seating and picnic facilities. This puts a nature reserve accessible only on foot alongside a viewpoint with designated facilities for a break.

The Eifelsteig trail runs along forest paths in Leudersdorf on its eighth stage, from Mirbach to Hillesheim. As the route may change, check the latest route information before setting out. Cycling and hiking routes from Üxheim lead to the Dreimühlen waterfall. This lets you distinguish between the interests of a hiking stage, a cycling trip or a nature destination without treating the different routes as interchangeable.

Which side of Üxheim appeals to you most depends on whether you want to focus on architectural styles and historic uses, railway history or nature destinations. The specific information about churches, the station, the viewpoint and the routes offers different points of reference for planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Dohm-Lammersdorf, Basberg, Wiesbaum, Zilsdorf, Oberehe-Stroheich, Bolsdorf, Walsdorf, Oberbettingen.

Return to the main travel overview: Hillesheim.