Preischeid: Discover hiking trails and history

Nature and history come together in different ways around Preischeid: a hiking route leads through wooded river valleys and loops around Preischeid Hill, while the Catholic parish church of St. Peter adds an architectural accent. If you enjoy combining exercise with cultural discoveries, this mix offers a helpful starting point for planning your trip.

Hiking through the Our, Irsen and Mühlbach valleys

The Southern Eifel Nature Park Hiking Trail No. 06 – Dasburg-Preischeid is 15.5 kilometres long. This wooded hike leads through the Our, Irsen and Mühlbach valleys and loops around Preischeid Hill. The start and finish are at the car park in the centre of Dasburg. You can park in Dasburg opposite Hotel Daytona at Hauptstraße 5. Bus route 460 serves the Dasburg/Ort stop; the route can also be reached via the B410 federal highway.

The first section follows the Bunker Hiking Trail, which recalls the Westwall fortifications. These are also considered a habitat and refuge for rare animals. Other highlights along the route include the ruins of Dasburg Castle, with views of the Our Valley and Dasburg, a historic town of craftspeople. The Machtemesmühle, which is open to visitors, is another highlight. The hike brings together landscapes, local history and a reminder of the Westwall era.

St. Peter’s Church and the history of the churchyard

The Catholic parish church of St. Peter was built in 1784. In 1840, a new three-storey tower with a domed roof and lantern was added. The churchyard also contains a niche or column cross dating from around 1620 to 1630. These different dates offer a glimpse across time, from the early 17th century through the construction of the church to the later addition of the tower.

Beyond Preischeid: the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm district

The wider destination of Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm offers further landscapes and cultural experiences. The Bitburger Land region includes the Kyllburger Waldeifel, the Bitburger Gutland and part of the Islek. High plateaus, deeply incised river valleys and open forests shape the landscape. Hiking trails in the NaturWanderPark delux and cycling routes along river valleys add to the options here. In the wider area, small distilleries offer a glimpse into schnapps production. Roman traces can be found in Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm at Villa Otrang near Fließem and along the archaeological circular trail in Bitburg.

The regional museums also each offer a different perspective. At the Mühlenberger Stollen Bleialf visitor mine, one-hour guided tours explain ore mining in Bleialf, from geology to applied technology. The mine also has a mining trail with numerous information boards about the area’s mining history. The Devonium in Waxweiler presents the connections between palaeontology and fossil life in an engaging way. The Westwall Museum houses a military history exhibition across three accessible bunker levels, as well as in underground passages and rooms.

The water castle of Rittersdorf, around 700 years old, has remained almost unchanged since it was built and offers a striking picture of late-medieval and early-modern Renaissance residential culture. The castle houses a privately run restaurant serving fine regional cuisine; before your trip, check whether it will be open on your chosen date.

Discover more destinations: Strickscheid, Kinzenburg, Lauperath, Lünebach, Leidenborn, Eschfeld, Lierfeld, Dasburg

For the wider travel overview: Arzfeld.