Simmerath: Nature Experiences and Trails
Accommodation in Simmerath
Simmerath combines nature experiences with a range of ways to enjoy active days: you can swim in the lake or at the Einruhr Nature Experience Pool, explore hiking trails and viewpoints, or plan a cycling tour around the Rursee. Exhibitions, guided tours and workshops are also among the local activities on offer.
Das Naturschutzgebiet Quellwiesen Steckelbuechel in Simmerath.
Photo: Caronna via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Swimming in the Lake and at the Nature Experience Pool
In Woffelsbach Bay, the swimming area is located directly in the lake. Yellow swimming buoys mark its boundaries, making it identifiable as a separate area within the lake. If you would rather visit a natural swimming pool, you’ll find the Nature Experience Pool in Einruhr.
No chlorine or chemicals are used there. The water is cleaned naturally in a reed pond. The two swimming options therefore differ in their surroundings and water treatment: in Woffelsbach Bay, you swim in the lake, while the Einruhr Nature Experience Pool uses the biological cleaning process described above. This distinction may help you choose where to swim.
Hiking Trails, Views and Distances
The 15.1-kilometre Panorama Trail starts at the village square in Simmerath-Strauch and passes through typical Eifel farmland to the Michelshof wind farm. Along the way, it offers panoramic views of the Eifel landscape, the Rursee and the Kermeter on the opposite shore. The distance gives you a specific reference point for planning your day; by itself, it says nothing about walking time or difficulty.
Another starting point for a hike is the Rursee Centre in Simmerath-Rurberg, where the 14.2-kilometre Rursee Höhenweg begins. If you’d like to include a viewpoint in your hiking plans, the Eifel-Blick “Wolfshügel” is 360 metres above sea level, above Einruhr. From there, the view stretches over the village and the Obersee to the Buhlert forest.
The Eifelsteig and the local PĂĽngelbach circular trail (No. 75) pass directly by WolfshĂĽgel. This means you can visit the viewpoint as part of either of these two trails. You can weigh up which route suits your day better based on the distances, starting points and views mentioned.
Cycling and Planning a Break
The “Around the Rursee” cycling tour covers 26 kilometres around the Rursee. Its total distance helps you fit the tour into your day’s plans. In Einruhr, the hiking rest stop at the Heilsteinhaus offers hikers a place to relax and picnic after a hike or bike ride. You can therefore consider stopping there for a break after either kind of outing.
The Einruhr National Park Information Point is also located at the hiking rest stop. There, you can get information about activities in the Eifel National Park Experience Region. The rest stop and information point share the same location, but serve different purposes for visitors: taking a break and finding out about activities in the region.
Discover Nature and Regional Activities
The Rurberg National Park Gate in Simmerath features the “Lifelines of Nature” exhibition, a digital terrain model of the national park and national park films. Free guided tours into the Kermeter forests start from there. The exhibition, model and films offer different ways to explore the national park; you can also consider a guided visit to the forests.
At the Lammersdorf Farm Museum, you can book guided tours and workshops, including the “From Grain to Bread” workshop. This adds an activity focused on grain and bread to the nature and outdoor options. If you’d like to include an activity like this in your travel plans, you can look into the guided tours and workshops available to book.
More local pages: Steckenborn, Kesternich, Einruhr, Monschau, Rurberg, Erkensruhr, Lammersdorf.
Back to the main travel overview: Aachen.
