The best dog-friendly hikes and walks in Heinzenberg

Very good valley for hiking and cycling. The paths lead to all villages. You can reach Nettersheim, Blankenheim, Tondorf etc. from here without any problems. All paths are paved. Tar or gravel.

From there, it is ideal to hike or cycle to the Roman excavations in Nettersheim. The paths are firm and very easy in terms of profile.

A nice little free parking lot.

Nice spot for a short rest.

Nettersheim station is an important transportation hub in the Eifel municipality of the same name and is located on the historic Eifel line from Cologne to Trier. The railway reached Nettersheim in 1870, when the section from Kall-Sötenich to Gerolstein was put into operation. The station building, which opened in 1875, is a listed half-timbered building that has been preserved to this day and clad in slate. In 2015, both the station building and the railway facilities were extensively renovated. Today, the historic building no longer serves regular railway operations in its original sense, but has been restored by the municipality and converted into a cultural station. This cultural station features gallery spaces on the ground floor, giving the listed building a new purpose as a hub for art and culture. Nettersheim station is ideally located for transport and can usually be reached hourly via the Eifel regional train lines towards Cologne and Trier (although since the 2021 floods, there have been constant interruptions and rail replacement services). The railway itself has undergone several modifications over time. There used to be a double-track section, but this was dismantled for cost reasons, which is now sometimes seen as a hindrance to operations. The platforms were also relocated during the renovation and are now connected by a modern timber-framed bridge. The station also plays a key role in tourism in the region, as it is located directly next to the Eifel Nature Center and is therefore the ideal starting point for numerous hiking trails, including the Eifelsteig and the Roman Canal Hiking Trail. The circular trail through the Nettersheim Archaeological Landscape Park, where the remains of the Roman settlement of Marcomagus can be experienced, also starts here. Despite its importance as a transport link and tourist starting point, Nettersheim station is not staffed and does not offer direct on-site support for travelers with reduced mobility.

The Genfbach Valley is located in the Eifel region on the so-called Nettersheim-Marmagen Plateau and is a region of particular ecological importance. Its name comes from the Genfbach, a stream approximately ten kilometers long that rises above Blankenheim and meanders largely naturally through the landscape until it finally flows into the Urft River in Nettersheim. Large parts of the Genfbach Valley, particularly the section southeast of Nettersheim, are protected and designated as a protected area of European importance. This is due to the biotope and species diversity still typical of a low mountain range. It features species-rich wet meadows, near-natural stream floodplains, limestone marshes, and alder-ash forests. These habitats provide shelter for a rich variety of wildlife, including rare bird species such as the whinchat, kingfisher, and meadow pipit. Larger mammals such as the wildcat also use the valley as an important migration corridor. The botanical diversity is equally remarkable, with rare plants such as broad-leaved marsh orchid, devil's claw, and, in large numbers, wood cranesbill thriving in the colorful valley meadows. In the heart of the Genfbach Valley, approximately halfway between the source and mouth, lies the historic Ahe Chapel. Dedicated to Bishop Saint Servatius, the chapel was built around 1330. It is the only remaining building from the lost village of Ahe and boasts a long tradition as a place of pilgrimage. Inside the chapel is a 15th-century wooden statue of Saint Servatius. Every year on May 13, the saint's feast day, a procession takes place to the chapel. For hikers, the Genfbach Valley is accessible via several hiking trails, such as the Eifel Loop Ahe Chapel, offering a varied route through expansive meadows and picturesque forests.

A pleasant highlight on the Eifel Loop, through forest, water, meadows, and expanses, is the Matron Temple near Hirschberg. Here, several information panels introduce the Roman past. Remains of the temple walls have been partially reconstructed. The revelatory inscription on many votive stones, V.S.L.M. = votum solvit libens merito (he redeemed the vow gladly and duly), means that the donor of the stone had entered into a contract with the Matrons. He promised the goddesses a votive stone if they fulfilled his request. Like all the other donors, he did not publicly disclose the nature of this request (https://www.sophie-lange.de/matronenkult-und-kultplaetze/koeln-das-hohe-ansehen-des-matronenkults-zur-roemer/index.php).

The Roman settlement of Marcomagus on the Via Agrippa has been partially reconstructed. Merchants and artisans lived and worked here. You can see the floor plans of the elongated rectangular houses. The sanctuary of the Aufanian matrons is directly adjacent to the settlement. Attractively designed information panels provide further details.