Hosten: Sandstone, Church Art and Trails

Sandstone, early local history and church art shape Hosten’s character. The area’s trails are also useful when planning a trip: the Kyll Valley Red Sandstone Route runs along the edge of the village, while the Kyll Valley Cycle Path passes Hosten in the Kyll Valley below the settlement. There is also a network of trails around Hosten that is suitable for cycling. This offers a choice of different focuses, from local history to outdoor activities.

Local History Between the Monastery Farm and Sandstone

Hosten was established in the 13th century as an estate belonging to St. Maximin’s Abbey in Trier; a hunting lodge belonging to Count Kesselstatt was added later. Several sandstone quarries are located on Hosten’s wooded slopes toward the Kyll. The village is also historically associated with nearby sandstone quarries where millstones were made. Both the landscape and the former stoneworking trade are therefore prominent themes in the village’s history.

Stone finds and discoveries from Roman times are also among Hosten’s attractions. At the entrance to the village from the direction of Orenhofen stands a replica of a Celtic temple complex. As of June 2022, the wayside cross near Hosten was listed as a legally protected cultural monument; it is estimated to date from around 1600.

The St. Joseph branch church adds another point of interest: seven windows depict the Seven Sorrows of Mary. The stained glass is based on an original work by a Flemish artist. This gives the church a specific art-historical feature alongside the older traces of local and industrial history.

Hiking Route, Cycle Path and Getting Around

Hosten lies on the edge of the Kyll Valley Red Sandstone Route. Hikers passing through Hosten stop for a break when following the route. The cycle path is in a different location: the Kyll Valley Cycle Path passes Hosten in the Kyll Valley below the settlement. There is also a well-developed network of trails around Hosten that is suitable for cycling. This distinction is useful when planning your day: the hiking route runs along the edge of the village, while the cycle path is in the valley below it.

You can reach Bitburg from Hosten via the L2. The barbecue hut is another useful local landmark: under the rules of use dated December 19, 2024, use of the hut includes access to the barbecue hut and the surrounding municipal grounds.

When looking for accommodation for a trip to Hosten, you can start by deciding what you want to focus on during your stay: would you like to explore local history and church art, or would you rather include the hiking and cycling routes in your plans? If you are traveling together, this can help you compare which topics matter to the different interests within your group. For additional destinations, include the wider travel destination of Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm as a separate part of your planning.

More to Discover in Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm

Hosten is part of the Speicher collective municipality. Its territory lies on a plateau 300 to 350 meters above sea level, west of the Kyll and in the southern part of the wider travel destination Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm. Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm offers other destinations with a range of themes. A one-hour guided tour of the Mühlenberger Stollen Bleialf visitor mine covers ore mining in Bleialf, from geology to applied technology. Check the current tour dates before visiting.

The Devonium in Waxweiler presents complex concepts in paleontology and the science of fossil life in a playful way. The Westwall Museum houses a military history exhibition in the underground corridors and rooms of a bunker; the museum spans three accessible levels. Rittersdorf’s water castle, around 700 years old, has remained almost unchanged since it was built and offers an impressive picture of late medieval and early modern Renaissance domestic culture. The region’s points of interest thus vary considerably, from mining and fossils to a bunker complex and castle architecture.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Orenhofen, Preist, Philippsheim.

Back to the main travel overview: Speicher.