Willwerath: Hiking Trail, Reservoir and Village History

The Prüm flows through almost all of Willwerath; the Hardt forest borders the village along the hillsides. The Weinsheim Hiking Trail leads through mixed forest, open beech and oak stands, fields and meadows. The reservoir, St. Lambertus Church and Willwerath Mill add bodies of water, architectural history and traditional craft uses to the mix. In Willwerath, you can therefore encounter several distinct aspects of a travel destination: scenery on a circular hike, fishing opportunities at the reservoir and traces of local history.

Hiking between villages and landscapes

The Weinsheim Hiking Trail is a 12.8 km circular route of easy to moderate difficulty. It connects Weinsheim, Gondelsheim, Willwerath and Hermespand. The sections near Willwerath are 3.8 km to Gondelsheim and 2.2 km to Hermespand. This lets you consider the specific section lengths alongside the full circuit without confusing the two figures.

The route also passes through a variety of landscapes: it follows the floodplains of the Prüm and Mühlbach, passes through mixed forest and open beech and oak stands, and crosses fields and meadows. The trail also includes a detour to the “Eifelblick” observation tower on the Hardt and a passage through the Niesenberg Nature Reserve. The length and difficulty set the parameters for the hike; the landscapes and stops described show what characterizes the route.

Reservoir and fishing opportunities

Willwerath Reservoir has a water surface of 1.62 ha and has been the fishing club Angelverein Prüm 1967 e.V.’s club water since 1971. Pike, zander, perch and eels are found in the lake; original Eifel brown trout are also stocked. Coarse anglers can fish for mirror carp and common carp.

To reach the “Ostufer” car park at the Anglerklause: in Willwerath, turn onto “Im Auelsecken” and follow the signs from there. This gives you a specific street name and the subsequent directions to help you find the car park.

Church and mill

Today’s St. Lambertus Church was built in 1869 and consecrated for church use in 1904. It is a post-Baroque hall church with a roof turret and also bears the date 1869. A special feature of the church is its small Rococo altar: it comes from the parish church in Nussbaum and was restored in the 1980s.

Another glimpse into local history can be found at Willwerath Mill on the Mühlbach. It is a grain and saw mill. Together with the dates relating to the church and the altar’s origins, it offers a different focus from the hike or reservoir: the architectural and industrial history embodied in specific buildings.

Recurring events in the village

For Hexennacht (Witches’ Night), the fire brigade and the young men of Willwerath have been putting up the Maypole for many decades. Every year on the first weekend in September, the fire brigade provides refreshments during the “Lustiges Prümtal” cycling Sunday. It also holds a summer festival in the village community centre every two years. The events differ in their timing and frequency: from the Hexennacht tradition to the annual September event and the biennial summer festival. If you want to plan your trip around an event, check the dates locally in advance.

When looking for accommodation in Willwerath, you can start by deciding on the purpose of your stay. If you are planning a hike, the circular route’s length and difficulty, as well as its landscapes, are key considerations. For a stay focused on cultural history, the church, altar and mill offer specific points of interest; if you plan to attend an event, its date is what matters.

Discover more destinations: Buchet, Kleinlangenfeld, Nimsreuland, Pittenbach, Habscheid, Olzheim, Büdesheim, Bleialf.

To the main travel overview: Prüm.