Discover Demerath: juniper, spring and history

Demerath brings together a protected juniper landscape and a mineral spring with a mill and a church whose history dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries. The local nature and cultural themes offer different starting points for planning your trip. The wider Volcanic Eifel destination broadens the picture with further geological features and hiking trails.

Juniper landscape and spring

The Geisert nature reserve lies on the slope of a side valley leading to the Grundbach, southwest of the town centre. It is about a 20-minute walk from there. The Kelten circular trail runs through the area, linking its juniper landscape with a specific hiking option. The Demerather Drees, a redesigned mineral spring, is about a ten-minute walk from the nature reserve. There are places to sit in the forest.

The water at the Drees is mineral-rich, carbonated and high in iron; it is not suitable for drinking. The two natural attractions therefore have different characteristics: Geisert represents a protected landscape with a circular trail running through it, while the Drees is a spring with places to sit in the forest. When planning, you can keep both the approximate walking times and the water’s special properties in mind.

The mill and church as traces of history

The Demerath Mill lies in a side valley of the Ueßbach, about a 30-minute walk southeast of Demerath. It was first documented in 1499 and historically served as a compulsory mill with rights of asylum. It was later rebuilt privately. These details trace a long local history without equating its former function with its present-day role.

The Church of St Peter and St Paul stands between the upper and lower village. A chapel was first mentioned in 1569; in 1975, the present-day church was given two transepts. Its two side altars are considered its most important adornment and feature depictions of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Historically, they occasionally attracted small pilgrimages from neighbouring villages. The mill and the church thus highlight different aspects: the former focuses on historical function and reconstruction, while the latter centres on architectural history and religious imagery.

The Volcanic Eifel in a wider context

So far, 77 maars have been identified in the Volcanic Eifel; 350 eruption centres have also been counted, about 270 of them from the more recent phase. The Ulmen Maar marks the most recent volcanic eruption in the Volcanic Eifel, which took place approximately 10,900 years ago. These regional geological features provide a broader context for your trip and should be distinguished from Demerath’s own natural attractions.

The hiking trails also offer a range of planning options: the Volcanic Eifel Trails lead to scenic highlights on either side of the Eifelsteig. They are marked and signposted, and include half-day hikes, day hikes and multi-day hikes. The 26.2-kilometre Vulcano Trail is a circular route east of Schalkenmehren. The eleventh stage of the Eifelsteig runs from Daun to Manderscheid and is 23.4 kilometres long. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

For a geological perspective, the Eifel Volcano Museum in Daun features three-dimensional landscape models of cinder cones, maars and mineral springs, as well as exhibits on West Eifel volcanism. At the interactive Strohn Volcano House, a lava fissure wall around 30,000 years old is one of the special exhibits; it is about six metres long and four metres high. The museums’ different exhibits offer further topics to explore if you plan your trip beyond Demerath’s local history and natural attractions.

If you are travelling with children, specific topics—juniper landscapes, church architecture and geological exhibitions—can help you include shared interests in your plans.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Utzerath, Saxler, Üdersdorf, Ellscheid, Darscheid, Strotzbüsch, Oberstadtfeld, Mehren.

For the main trip overview: Daun.