Discover Gerolstein

In Gerolstein, striking rock formations, geological traces and trails for hiking and cycling come together. Highlights include a cave, viewpoints and historic buildings. The trails cover a wide range of themes, from forests and their wildlife to the history of the Earth.

Rock Formations, Cave and Viewpoints

The Gerolstein Dolomites are Germany’s oldest sponge reef and date back to the Middle Devonian. The nature reserve covers around 102 hectares and has been protected since 1990. The Buchenloch Cave lies within it and can be reached on foot via the Gerolstein Rock Trail and the Eifelsteig. The Rock Trail forms the northern section of the Gerolstein Dolomites Eight, a circular route just under eight kilometres long.

The area’s diversity is also apparent at its viewpoints and rock formations. Munterley is a 482-metre-high summit with views over Gerolstein. A ten-metre-high wooden observation tower stands on Dietzenley, with the remains of a Celtic ring wall below it. Heiligenstein is a 750-metre-long natural monument, reached via the Celtic Trail or the Dolomites Eight. There is also a viewpoint on Auberg, equipped with a railing.

Trails on Foot and by Bike

For those who enjoy combining scenery with information while hiking, the Gerolstein Forest Nature Trail offers a family-friendly circular route through Gerolstein Forest. Information boards cover trees, forestry, water, ecology and wildlife. So the trail not only leads through the forest, but also offers topics to talk about along the way. For further hiking plans, the trail network in the Gerolsteiner Land is described as including marked routes, day hikes, family-friendly trails and sections of the Eifelsteig.

Cycling offers routes on different scales: the 123-kilometre Kyll Cycle Path passes through Gerolstein and runs between Losheimergraben and Trier. Gerolstein is also connected to the permanent, signposted and GPS-tracked mountain bike trails of the Trailpark Vulkaneifel. This network comprises 750 kilometres of trails and 17,500 metres of elevation gain. These figures describe the size of the entire network, not a single tour.

Culture and the History of the Earth

The Church of the Redeemer in Gerolstein is a Neo-Romanesque central-plan building with gleaming gold mosaics and is considered a rare art-historical document of the late German Empire. Visits are only possible as part of a guided tour; check the visiting arrangements before your trip. A museum at Villa Sarabodis displays Roman-Celtic artefacts from the Kyll Valley and connects them to the region’s Roman heritage.

The Gerolstein Natural History Museum is considered the largest and oldest geoscience museum in the Eifel. Across three floors, it displays stone records of the region’s geological history. Another way to explore local history and minerals is the Gerolsteiner Erlebniswelt: the journey through Gerolstein’s history and the world of minerals there lasts around 90 minutes. Advance registration is required for visitor tours; check the visitor information before planning your visit.

Gerolstein and the Vulkaneifel

The Vulkaneifel offers another perspective on the region’s geology. To date, 77 maars have been identified there and 350 eruption centres counted, around 270 of them from the more recent phase. Ulmen Maar marks the most recent volcanic eruption in the Vulkaneifel, which took place around 10,900 years ago. There are regional options for hiking, too: the marked and signposted Vulkaneifel trails offer half-day hikes, day hikes and multi-day hikes. The eleventh stage of the Eifelsteig runs from Daun to Manderscheid and is 23.4 kilometres long—a different distance from the Dolomites Eight, which is just under eight kilometres long.

Getting There and Finding Accommodation

Gerolstein is accessible by bus and train. Check connections and timetables before your trip if you want to plan your activities around them. This will help you first decide whether Gerolstein suits your planned focus or whether you would prefer to widen your search to the broader Vulkaneifel destination.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Müllenborn, Densborn, Neroth, Pelm, Salm, Hohenfels-Essingen, Hinterhausen, Mürlenbach, Kalenborn-Scheuern, Birresborn, Berlingen, Kopp, Rockeskyll, Duppach, Gees, Oos.

Back to the main travel overview: Vulkaneifel.