Discover Röhl: the Kyll, forests and history

Röhl lies southeast of Bitburg between the Kyll and the old Roman military road from Trier to Cologne. The municipality extends to the Kyll and includes 325 hectares of forest. The river, forest and historic traces give the village different facets. For your travel plans, the first question is therefore whether you are more interested in Röhl’s history and a walk through the village, or in a longer hike.

A village history that predates its first written mention

The first written mention of Röhl dates from 981; at the time, the village was called “Rula.” Stone axe finds point to settlement that is much older than this written record. Roman traces are also part of the village’s history: remains of Roman settlements and old iron-smelting works can be found in the village and throughout the municipality. Settlement remains and evidence of ironworking represent different aspects of the past. Röhl’s history cannot therefore be reduced to a single period or one building.

Chapels, an estate and old farmhouses

The Fatima Chapel was consecrated on 8 December 1957 and expanded in 1969/70. St. Martin’s Chapel dates back to 1813 and was built over one of seven Roman settlement sites in the municipality. The chapels thus bring together architectural history from the 19th and 20th centuries with traces of older settlements.

Hof Pfalzkyll lies in the northeast of Röhl and was formerly an estate belonging to Himmerod Abbey. Parts of the estate date from the 18th century. You can also see numerous old farmhouses on a walk through Röhl’s streets. If you explore the village on foot, these houses offer another part of its history to discover alongside the specific historical facts.

The “Von Rula und Sulmana” route

The “Von Rula und Sulmana” route is 19.8 kilometres long and is considered a challenging hike. You can start at the Röhl hiking car park; the route passes the Fatima Chapel and continues into the forest. The chapel is therefore both a historic site and a point along the route. If you are travelling with children, take the route’s length and challenging nature into account when planning your day together, and weigh these against your own fitness and the conditions.

Possible parking options for the hike include the hiking car park in Röhl and St. Peter in Sülm. Check the local parking situation and route details before setting off. This will help you plan the start of your hike while bearing in mind that parking options may change.

Planning your stay in Röhl

When looking for a place to stay in Röhl, it helps to decide what you want to focus on during your stay. A walk through the village, with its old farmhouses and historic chapels, is a different way to explore the area than the long, challenging hike. When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore consider whether village history or the route is your priority. If you are planning the hike, take your fitness and the conditions into account; for a stay focused on village history, the chapels, Hof Pfalzkyll and the streets lined with old farmhouses are the main attractions.

Discover more destinations: Wilsecker, Kyllburg, Zendscheid, Mettendorf, Hamm, Wolsfeld, Schwirzheim, Giesdorf.

Return to the regional travel overview: Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm.