The best MTB trails around Bongard

The Schwarzenberg Chapel is hidden in the forest on the 562-meter-high Schwarzenberg and is dedicated to the Sorrowful Mother of God. It was built in 1719. Inside, an altar with a Pietà in the central part adorns the chapel, flanked by Saints Aloysius (right) and Augustine. On the walls, votive tablets and discarded crutches bear witness that many people sought and found comfort and help in illness from the Schwarzenberg Mother of God. Not far from the chapel is the Heroes' Cemetery, where the soldiers who died in Kelberg during World War II rest. A little further down, a memorial commemorates the fallen of the First and Second World Wars.

Very helpful 👍🏽

The combination of the natural environment and the challenge for riders makes Hocheichen an important and popular section of the "Green Hell". 🌍❤️ The name "Hocheichen" comes from the striking oak trees that line the route, giving it a unique, natural atmosphere. 🌲🌿

There are a few reclining benches and also benches along our hiking route.

For information about the sour spring, see https://www.geopark-vulkaneifel.de/eifel/landschaft/mineralwasserquellen/schulldrees.html

Opposite the Sauerbrunnen (sour spring) used to stand the elementary school. All that remains of it is the name of the spring in the local dialect: Schulldrehs.

A must for motorsport fans, always worth a visit.

A true paradise stretches out on the edge of the village of Ulmen on a plateau beneath the Steimelskopf, where a volcano once erupted with a tremendous bang, forming a deep crater with a maar lake, which now serves as a renowned bird sanctuary. The exact age of the Jungferweiher lake cannot be determined, but its morphological shape suggests it is several hundred thousand years old. In early modern times, the Lords of Ulmen used the lake as a fishpond for carp breeding, until it gradually silted up over time, and the residents of Ulmen harvested peat from the former maar for heating purposes. However, in 1942, the decision was made to flood the area again by damming the Ulmener Bach to secure the drinking water supply for the Cochem-Zell district. Today, the Jungferweiher lake, located at an altitude of 428 meters above sea level, covers an area of approximately 170,000 square meters with a depth of 0.8 meters. The pond, along with the Ulmener Maar, is protected for its rare flora and fauna. Many endangered species, such as the snipe and the meadow pipit, breed in the reed-rich banks, while ospreys have been observed hunting. Migratory birds such as cranes, teals, and great grey shrikes roost in the meadows near the Ulmener Jungferweiher every year. Therefore, a walk along the approximately 3-kilometer loop is a must, especially during the migration periods in spring and autumn. At the bird observatory on the western bank, you can observe the birds in their natural habitat. Nowadays, a wide variety of fish species thrive in the shallow waters of the Ulmener Weiher, which can be fished from a fishing pier on the southern bank. Swimming and other water sports are prohibited, however. Fishing permits are issued by the local municipal administration in Ulmen. Since 2023, the Ulmener Maar Tunnel has connected the Jungferweiher underground to the Ulmener Maar. A visit to the 126-metre-long tunnel is highly recommended!