Bleialf: Mining History and Cycle Path

Bleialf combines a long mining history with a visitor mine, a geological and mining history trail, and a cycling route that passes directly through the village. There is also Burgbrennen, a local custom. This means you can plan your stay around a range of interests: mining history, outdoor activities or insights into local traditions.

Discover Bleialf’s Mining History

Bleialf was first mentioned in a document in the Prüm Urbar in 893. The history of mining is also still visible in the village: lead and copper mining ended in 1954, but clear traces remain. The old Mühlenberger tunnel of the Neue Hoffnung lead mine at Heinzkyller Mill was opened to the public in 1986/87 as an accessible section of the visitor mine. On a one-hour guided tour, visitors learn about ore mining in Bleialf, from geology to applied technology.

The visitor mine is open on Sundays from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the last guided tour starts at 4:15 p.m. Check visiting hours before you travel. This lets you plan your visit to the tunnel within a clear time frame while discovering the special connection between mining history and its interpretation today.

The few remaining sites of the traditional lead ore mining industry are linked by a geological and mining history educational hiking trail. In the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm, the Mühlenberger Stollen Bleialf visitor mine also has a mining trail with numerous information boards about the area’s mining history. This means you can explore the subject not only at the tunnel, but also through its remaining traces and the interpretation provided along the trail.

Cycle Path and Local Traditions

The Eifel-Ardennes Cycle Path offers a different perspective. It runs for almost 40 kilometres from Prüm to St. Vith in Belgium and passes directly by Bleialf. Alongside the one-hour guided tour, there are therefore two very different time frames: a visit to the tunnel and a long cycling route between two places. The stated distance refers to the route from Prüm to St. Vith.

Burgbrennen is also part of the annual calendar in Bleialf. Burgsonntag, when it takes place, is celebrated on the first Sunday after Carnival and is also known as “Sheep Sunday”. Currently, “castles” for Burgbrennen are built at three locations in the municipality of Bleialf. Another custom involves the most recently married couple: for several years now, they have prepared pancakes and served them in their home. Thus, both a publicly designated feast day and a tradition in a private home are part of the village’s history.

More Places to Explore in the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm

There are other things to explore in the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm besides mining. The Devonium in Waxweiler presents complex concepts in palaeontology and the science of fossil life in a playful way. The Westwall Museum is housed on three accessible floors of a bunker; its underground tunnels and rooms contain a military history exhibition.

Rittersdorf Water Castle, around 700 years old, has remained almost unchanged since it was built and offers an impressive picture of late medieval and Renaissance residential culture of the modern era. The castle also has a privately run restaurant serving refined regional cuisine. Check whether the restaurant is open before your visit.

If you want Bleialf, its tunnel, mining history and cycle path to be the focus, search for this destination. If you would like to include other places in the district, take the relevant destinations into account when choosing your base.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Obermehlen, Feuerscheid, Oberlascheid, Buchet, Lasel, Büdesheim, Kleinlangenfeld, Nimsreuland

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