The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Ulmen

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!

1 million years of geology. Worth putting your bike aside for a moment.

The fairy-tale fountain at the Alten Postplatz tells a story. Here, on this spot, it is at its most beautiful.

The Ulmen Maar lies 420 meters above sea level today, covers an area of 5.5 hectares, and is 36 meters deep. The bubbles at the maar's edge demonstrate that volcanism is still active. They bear witness to a turbulent past—but rest assured, there's no eruption in sight! A wall of various rocks and ash, up to 20 meters thick, surrounds the cone. For those interested, these testimonies to this explosive past are beautifully displayed in St. Matthias Church. This unique wall, with its different colored layers and rounded inclusions, is worth seeing for more than just geologists. The slopes of the maar basin are covered with a beautiful forest, which can be explored on a circular walk. A detour to the medieval castle ruins, from which the Crusaders once launched their campaigns, is recommended. The view from the crater rim over the maar and the Eifel beyond will take your breath away. Whether after a sweaty hike or a long drive, the blue of the Ulmer Eifel lake is all too tempting in summer. However, bathing in the maar is prohibited because it is designated as a nature and water protection area.

The lower castle has completely disappeared. You can still see the beginning of the ring that connected the lower castle and the Ulmen city wall, a two-story outer wall of the palace, as well as a cistern and some foundation walls of other buildings. The old part of Ulmen Castle was built around 1074 AD and likely rests on the remains of a Roman settlement. In the Middle Ages, Ulmen Castle was further expanded and divided into the upper castle, whose remains of the walls still exist, and the lower castle, which extended to the banks of the maar river. Two knightly families lived in the castle, which is believed to have never been attacked or destroyed until 1673 due to its size. Only the Sun King's troops succeeded. It was rebuilt, but fell again in 1689 during the War of the Succession. However, Ulmen Castle was also rebuilt this time, with only the city wall being abandoned. With the invasion of Napoleon's soldiers, Ulmen also became French and later Prussian. The empty castle, whose last descendant died in 1801, was auctioned to a merchant from Cochem, who sold it as a quarry. When a devastating fire burned Ulmen to the ground in the 19th century, the residents of Ulmen rebuilt their houses with stones from the castle. That's why you can still see a coat of arms on some of the stables today. It wasn't until the early twentieth century that Ulmen Castle was declared a listed building and became the property of the municipality of Ulmen. The castle is always freely accessible.

The Ulmen Maar is a maar belonging to the town of Ulmen in the Eifel region of Rhineland-Palatinate. The meromictic lake is up to 37 meters deep and is surrounded by an average 20-meter-high wall of tuff rock formed from the eruptions of the former volcano.

Although the mill itself hasn't been in operation for many decades and now serves "only" as a residential building, the very friendly owner is happy to provide information and guide you through the grounds. Parts of the old millwork can still be seen.

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