Nerdlen: Discover village history and hiking trails

Nerdlen combines a settlement history dating back to around 1400 with hiking trails through forests and fields. St. Anthony’s Chapel stands in the village centre, while water-filled maars with natural swimming areas and boat trips shape the experience of nature around Nerdlen. You can tailor your stay to local history, excursions or the volcanically shaped landscape.

Local history and St. Anthony’s Chapel

The settlement’s history is traced back to around 1400. At that time, farmers settled at the confluence of the Sarmersbach and the Lieser. The place name has also evolved through several forms: “Zu den Erlen” first became “Nerlen” and eventually Nerdlen.

St. Anthony’s Chapel stands in the village centre. After a village fire in 1893, it was rebuilt and consecrated in 1898. It is used for Mass, liturgies of the word and rosary prayers. If you are planning a visit, check the current service times in advance.

Hiking trails through woodland and fields

The Struth circular trail passes through Neichen, Beinhausen, Afelskreuz, Sarmersbach, Nerdlen and Kradenbach. The shorter circular route is about 16 kilometres long. Its stretches through woodland and fields, mostly well-maintained paths and panoramic views offer a variety of landscapes along the way. The Struth circular trail can also be explored by mountain or trekking bike. From one rest stop, the distant view extends as far as Hilgerath parish church.

Nerdlen is close to the starting point of the Lieser Trail. Another option is the HeimatSpur Kleelandrunde: it leads through woodland near the Hörscheider Kapellchen, returns to Nerdlen and passes over the Eulenbrücke outside the municipality. The start and finish are at the municipal hall, Bergstraße 1, in Sarmersbach. Check the stated starting point before travelling; local trail conditions may change.

Maars and the Vulkaneifel landscape

The maars around Nerdlen are considered water-filled volcanic craters with natural swimming areas and boat trips. More broadly, the Vulkaneifel is a landscape where forests, bogs, dry habitats, bodies of water and distinctive volcanic sites occur close together. The Eifel maars are designated European Habitats Directive sites; their diverse habitats provide a home for rare animals and plants.

So far, 77 maars have been identified in the Vulkaneifel. In addition, 350 eruption centres have been counted, about 270 of them from a more recent phase. The Ulmen Maar marks the most recent volcanic eruption in the Vulkaneifel; it took place around 10,900 years ago. In Daun, the Eifel Volcano Museum features three-dimensional landscape models of cinder cones, maars and mineral springs, as well as exhibits on West Eifel volcanism.

Regional hiking and cycling options

The Vulkaneifel Trails also offer a choice to suit different time budgets: they are marked and signposted and include half-day hikes, day hikes and multi-day hikes. The Vulcano Trail is a 26.2-kilometre circular route east of Schalkenmehren. Mountain bikers can enjoy the Trailpark Vulkaneifel, a network of around 750 kilometres with more than 17,500 metres of elevation gain. These regional options are considerably more extensive than the roughly 16-kilometre Struth circular trail.

Choose accommodation based on your plans for the day

When looking for accommodation, use your planned activities as a guide: are you mainly interested in local history and trails in Nerdlen, or in nature and cultural attractions in the Vulkaneifel? Compare the location of your accommodation with the places you would like to visit and make your choice accordingly.

Discover more destinations: Tettscheid, Darscheid, Meisburg, Schalkenmehren, Ellscheid, Mückeln, Udler, Schönbach.

Back to the main travel overview: Daun.