Discover Oberelz

Oberelz combines trails along the Elzbach with a tangible local history: an 18th-century church, a forest chapel and two circular routes offer different perspectives on the village. The name Oberelz refers to its location on the upper Elzbach. The Elztal Cycle Route also runs through Oberelz alongside the stream; the hiking trails start and finish in the village. You can therefore plan your trip around walking, cycling or exploring local history.

Hiking on two circular routes

Comparing route lengths gives you a concrete basis for choosing a hike. Circular Route 3 is 9.6 kilometres long; it is listed as taking three hours and gaining 120 metres in elevation. Circular Route 4 is 7.2 kilometres long. Both are circular routes that start and finish in Oberelz. Route 3 is therefore the longer of the two, and its estimated time helps you plan your hiking day. The different distances also make it possible to choose a route that fits the time you have available.

Circular Route 3 connects Oberelz with Retterath and Arbach. Along the way, the route passes a small chapel and the parish church of St. Remigius before returning through the Elztal valley. Circular Route 4 follows the Elztal and Ahlsbach valleys through the forest, then returns to Oberelz. A PDF route description is available to help plan Circular Route 4; check beforehand whether the download is currently available. As trail conditions can change, it is a good idea to check the latest situation before setting out.

Church and forest chapel

The Catholic branch church of St. Nicholas is a hall church built in 1750 and is considered a local cultural monument. St. Nicholas is also the patron saint of the church and of Oberelz. The forest chapel of Oberelz offers another historical landmark: it was built in 1823 at a crossroads of forest paths northwest of the village. Residents of Oberelz renovated the chapel in 1964; it was listed as a protected monument in 1986. Its location on the forest paths links the chapel’s history to a clearly identifiable place in the landscape.

Cycling along the Elzbach

The approximately 31-kilometre-long Elztal Cycle Route runs along the Elzbach through Oberelz, connects Gunderath with Monreal and continues to Mayen. Its route runs from Gunderath through Uersfeld, Lirstal and Oberelz, through the Elztal valley to Monreal and Mayen. The section between Gunderath and Monreal is considered family-friendly because of its topography and family-oriented amenities. This description applies to the section mentioned and gives families a specific point of reference when choosing a cycling route.

If hiking is the focus of your trip, narrow your accommodation search to Oberelz. For a cycling trip, the section of the Elztal Cycle Route you want to ride may instead determine your choice of location.

The wider setting of the Volcanic Eifel

Beyond Oberelz, the wider travel destination of the Volcanic Eifel offers its own geological perspective. So far, 77 maars have been identified in the Volcanic Eifel; 350 eruption centres have also been counted there, around 270 of them from the more recent phase. The Ulmen Maar marks the most recent volcanic eruption in the Volcanic Eifel, which took place around 10,900 years ago. In Daun, the Eifel Volcano Museum displays three-dimensional landscape models of cinder cones, maars and mineral springs, as well as exhibits on West Eifel volcanism. Oberelz’s hiking and cycling trails thus sit alongside a distinct regional perspective on volcanic landscapes and how they formed.

Discover more destinations: Reimerath, Retterath, Katzwinkel, Zermüllen, Nitz, Drees, Bereborn, Berenbach.

Back to the wider travel overview: Kelberg.