Hillesheim: Crime Culture, Baroque Organ and Geological History

Hillesheim brings together concert culture, crime fiction and insights into local and geological history. Its varied themes give your stay different points of focus: music at St. Martin's Church, an extensive crime fiction collection at the Crime House, or geological evidence and historical documents on Burgstraße.

Culture and History in Hillesheim

St. Martin's Church houses a Baroque organ built in 1772 by the Stumm family of organ builders. It is played at concerts in Hillesheim. Historic organ building and concert music are therefore part of the town's cultural profile; visitors with a particular interest in music history will find a tangible point of connection here.

The Crime House combines an archive of more than 30,000 volumes with over 70 crime board games, a bookshop and Café Sherlock. The collection offers different ways to explore crime fiction: you can focus on books, games or the bookshop. Café Sherlock adds to what the house offers. The large number of volumes and games makes crime fiction a subject in its own right for a visit, rather than just a single exhibit.

At 27 Burgstraße, visitors can explore geological evidence of the area's history of fire and water, as well as documents about Hillesheim's past. Natural and local history stand side by side: one theme draws attention to geological traces, the other to the town's history. Together with the organ and the Crime House, they make for a cultural trip that brings together music, literature and the region's past.

Volcanic Eifel: Volcanic Landscapes, Museums and Trails

So far, 77 maars have been identified in the Volcanic Eifel. In addition, 350 eruption centres have been counted, around 270 of them from the more recent phase. Ulmen Maar marks the most recent volcanic eruption in the Volcanic Eifel, which took place about 10,900 years ago. Lakes also offer a range of scales: Gemünden Maar has a water surface of approximately seven hectares and is the smallest of the three famous Eifel Eyes. Windsborn crater lake near Bettenfeld is considered the only natural crater lake north of the Alps.

The Volcanic Eifel Trails lead to scenic highlights on either side of the Eifelsteig. They are marked and signposted, and the selection includes half-day hikes, day hikes and multi-day hikes. Two individual routes are the eleventh stage of the Eifelsteig, from Daun to Manderscheid, at 23.4 kilometres, and the 26.2-kilometre Vulcano Trail, a circular route east of Schalkenmehren. This gives you a choice of different tour formats and specifically stated route lengths, rather than designated difficulty levels. It is worth checking current trail conditions before setting off.

For mountain bikers, the Volcanic Eifel Trail Park has a network of around 750 kilometres of trails with more than 17,500 metres of elevation gain. Hiking and mountain biking are therefore different ways to explore the Volcanic Eifel. Which option is a better fit for your trip depends on whether you prefer to travel on marked hiking trails or explore an extensive mountain bike trail network.

Museums and Historic Places in the Volcanic Eifel

The museums take different approaches to interpreting volcanism. The Eifel Volcano Museum in Daun features three-dimensional landscape models of cinder cones, maars and mineral springs, as well as exhibits on volcanism in the Western Eifel. The interactive Strohn Volcano House also focuses on geological history. Its notable exhibits include a lava fissure wall around 30,000 years old, approximately six metres long and four metres high. The Gerolstein Natural History Museum is considered the largest and oldest geological museum in the Eifel; across three floors, it displays stone evidence from the region's geological history.

The landscape and architectural history are intertwined, too. Ulmen Castle Ruins rise above the steep shore of Ulmen Maar, with parts of the upper castle still preserved. The two Manderscheid castles are separated by the narrow Lieser Valley, creating a meeting of nature and culture. At the Strohn Lava Bomb, visitors can explore how it formed and experience the effects of volcanism in the Eifel.

This lets you tailor your search to the interests you want to shape your trip.

Discover More Places

Discover more destinations: Oberbettingen, Wiesbaum, Üxheim, Kerpen, Oberehe-Stroheich, Bolsdorf, Walsdorf, Dohm-Lammersdorf, Loogh, Zilsdorf, Berndorf, Basberg.

For the regional travel overview: Volcanic Eifel.