Discover Nitztal: Hiking Trails and Cycling Route

In Nitztal, you can plan your hiking days around the distance and scenery you prefer. The Almenackerweg is a circular trail about 2.5 kilometres long, starting and ending at the Schützenstraße car park. The Panoramaweg Nitztal also starts and ends there, but at 7.9 kilometres it is considerably longer. This lets you choose between a shorter circuit and a longer hike without changing your starting point.

Hiking: circular trails and views

The panoramic trail leads from Nitztal through a peaceful forest and uphill to Bleiberg. From Schälkopf, you can enjoy a view of Nitztal from above. The Bleiberghütte is on the trail and can be rented for barbecuing in summer. If you are planning a day of grilling, take this seasonal use into account when making your plans.

The Nitzblickrunde leads from the town centre up to Steinbüchel, which is 524 metres above sea level, and offers glimpses of the Nitztal valley. It is suitable for families with children. The Bürresheimrunde also leads to Steinbüchel; on the ascent, the view stretches across the Nitztal valley. For a different perspective on the landscape, the Eifeltraum hiking trail between Kürrenberg and Nitztal combines a varied hillside forest with open fields and meadows.

Other trails have their own points of interest: on the return to Nitztal, the Schlossweg follows the small Nitz stream. The Finnenhütte is on the Steinbachweg and has a barbecue area. The Bendisberg Mine is a visitor mine, located about 700 metres from the St. Joster Weg. These details can help you choose different trails and excursion destinations to suit your plans for the day.

Cycle from Nitztal to Kirchwald

The Nitztal hill-climb time-trial route is a permanently timed cycling route. It starts in Mayen-Nitztal and finishes in Kirchwald. The route is about 2.5 kilometres long, with around 240 metres of elevation gain and an average gradient of about 5 per cent. The starting station is at the intersection of St.-Johanner-Straße and Kirchwalder Straße in Nitztal. Unlike the two hiking trails, which start and finish at the Schützenstraße car park, this cycling route ends in a different town. Be sure to factor in the finish point when planning your tour.

Mayen: castle, cityscape and culture

In Mayen itself, Genovevaburg Castle is a cultural highlight. It is a landmark of the town, set on a rocky knoll above the market square. The late Gothic castle comprises an upper castle with the 34-metre-high Goloturm and a lower-lying outer bailey. Genovevaburg Castle houses the EifelTotal and Deutsches Schieferbergwerk exhibitions of the Eifel Museum. Much of Mayen’s town wall has been preserved; a restored battlement walkway can be followed as far as the castle.

Every summer, the Mayen Castle Festival turns Genovevaburg Castle into a venue for theatre, music and socialising. During the summer months, the courtyard of the Old Detention House is also used as an open-air venue for the Castle Festival. The former town jail was built in 1880 and extended in 1904; today it is a home for art and culture. If you would like to get to know the town on a guided tour, you can take a historical town tour in Mayen on request. It lasts around 90 minutes and takes you through the town centre. The Hearonymus app offers a digital alternative: you can start the town tour whenever you like and play information about the sights as you go.

Nature and museum topics also offer distinctive experiences in Mayen. The Bat Trail is a short circular trail through the Mayen mining field that introduces visitors to the world of bats; Shaft 700 is home to bats. The Mayen mining field is presented as one of Central Europe’s most important bat roosting sites. On a guided tour of the SteinZeiten exhibition, you can follow individual stages of basalt extraction at interactive stations. For a culinary tour of the town, Mayen offers a guided tour lasting about 4.5 hours, during which participants visit a total of five pubs and restaurants.

Choose accommodation to suit your planned days

For individual days out, take their specific starting and finishing points into account. This lets you compare accommodation based on which travel plans matter most to you, without combining hiking trails, the cycling route and the cultural programme into a single outing.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Niederfell, Andernach, Bermel, Wierschem, Plaidt, Lasserg, Niederelz, Arft.

Back to the main travel overview: Mayen-Koblenz.