Discover Rockeskyll: Volcanic Landscapes and Village Church

Rockeskyll brings together three distinct themes: the volcanic Rockeskyller Kopf west of the village, the late Gothic parish church in the centre, and a circular trail that starts and ends in Rockeskyll. This makes it possible to discover the village through its geological features, a hike and a building dating from 1511.

Volcanic geological history at the Rockeskyller Kopf

The Rockeskyller Kopf is a Quaternary volcanic complex. Sections of the former crater wall and the lava lake stage are exposed here; these geological features are used for geotourism. They can be viewed along the Gerolstein 3 Geopark Route, with explanatory panels. This makes the volcanic history tangible through specific structures in the landscape and accompanying explanations.

The circular hike around the Rockeskyller Kopf starts and ends in Rockeskyll, at the car park opposite the church. It is 4.4 kilometres long and takes about an hour and a half. Its features include volcanic formations, information panels, a panoramic view and views towards Kasselburg and the Kyll Valley. The stated distance and duration can help you fit the tour into your day; check the current route information before setting out.

Church and village history

The late Gothic parish church of St Bartholomew, built in 1511, stands on a small hill in the village centre. It offers a different perspective alongside the volcanic landscape: here, the focus is on the architectural history of the village. The car park opposite the church is also the starting and finishing point of the circular trail, making it easy to combine both themes while finding your way around the village.

The Vulkaneifel as a wider setting

The broader travel destination of the Vulkaneifel shifts the perspective from a single volcanic complex to a larger geological landscape. To date, 77 maars have been identified there; a total of 350 eruption centres have been counted, around 270 of them from the more recent phase. The Ulmen Maar marks the most recent volcanic eruption in the Vulkaneifel, which took place about 10,900 years ago. These regional figures provide a wider perspective on volcanism.

The landscape features of the Vulkaneifel also include the Windsborn crater lake near Bettenfeld, the only natural crater lake north of the Alps. The Gemünden Maar has a water surface of about seven hectares and is the smallest of the three famous Eifel Eyes. At the Strohn Lava Bomb, visitors can explore the formation of the gigantic lava bomb on site and experience the effects of volcanism in the Eifel.

Hiking, cycling and geological discoveries

The Vulkaneifel trails lead to scenic highlights on both sides of the Eifelsteig and are marked and signposted. Options range from half-day and full-day tours to hikes lasting several days. The eleventh stage of the Eifelsteig runs from Daun to Manderscheid and is 23.4 kilometres long. The Vulcano Trail is a 26.2-kilometre circular route east of Schalkenmehren. In addition, the Vulkaneifel Trailpark has a mountain biking network of about 750 kilometres, with more than 17,500 metres of elevation gain. By comparison, the Rockeskyll loop, at 4.4 kilometres, is a very different distance; its approximate duration of an hour and a half is also provided.

Museums also explore the volcanic features of the Vulkaneifel. The Eifel Volcano Museum in Daun displays three-dimensional landscape models of cinder cones, maars and mineral springs, as well as exhibits on West Eifel volcanism. The interactive Strohn Volcano House presents a lava fissure wall about 30,000 years old, around six metres long and four metres high. The Gerolstein Natural History Museum is considered the largest and oldest geomuseum in the Eifel; its three floors display stone evidence of the region's geological history.

Historical landscapes also include the Ulmen Castle ruins above the steep shore of the Ulmen Maar, where parts of the upper castle remain, and the two Manderscheid castles. The narrow Lieser Valley separates the castles and provides a setting for their interplay of nature and culture.

Choose your accommodation location based on your travel plans

When choosing a location, you can first decide whether the circular trail at the Rockeskyller Kopf is your main focus or whether you want to plan your trip around several Vulkaneifel attractions. The local loop starts and ends in Rockeskyll. For other hikes, mountain biking routes, museums or landscape attractions, the stops you plan to visit can help guide your accommodation search. This lets you choose where to stay based on the travel plans that matter to you.

Discover more destinations: Pelm, Birresborn, Oos, Kopp, Hinterhausen, Müllenborn, Salm, Neroth.

Go to the wider travel overview: Gerolstein.