Top 2 Natural Monuments around Weinfelder Maar

Numerous legends surround the quiet Totenmaar. According to one legend, a castle once stood at this spot, inhabited by a benevolent count with his servants, his hard-hearted wife, and their only child. One day, the count returned home from the hunt and found only a lake where his castle had stood. It had sunk into the earth with all its inhabitants, leaving behind a lake, the Totenmaar. As if by a miracle, a cradle appeared on the surface, in which his child drifted safely to shore. The count's horse dug out a spring from the ground during an exclamation by its master. The count later built a chapel out of gratitude for his child's rescue, which, like the spring, is still preserved today. Das Weinfelder Maar 1878 (Die Gartenlaube) The Eifel painter Richard Franzen from Mehren dedicated the following poem to this maar: Droben steht noch die Kapelle, hier im schönen Eifelland, wo vor ein paar hundert Jahren einst das Dörfchen Weinfeld stand. Pest und Armut, schlechte Zeiten, zwang die Menschen in der Not, ihre Heimstatt zu verlassen, letzter Zug im Abendrot. Doch nach Weinfeld kehren wieder Stille Schläfer Jahr für Jahr, um für immer auszuruhen auf dem Berg am Totenmaar

The Daun Maars - 10,000-Year-Old Volcanic Lakes The Daun Maars were formed around 10,000 years ago from volcanic steam explosions. Hot lava rises from the Earth's interior and meets water, which suddenly evaporates. This blasts away entire mountain peaks. What remains is a deep crater that fills with water over the years and a wall of boulders surrounding the lake. The Daun Maars include the Gemünden Maar, the Weinfelder Maar, and the Schalkenmehrener Doppelmaar. One crater of the Schalkenmehren Maar has silted up over the millennia. The area is a nature reserve and a refuge for waterfowl and rare dragonfly species. Text / Source: deutschland-outdoor.der https://deutschland-outdoor.de/eifel/dauner-maare

Weinfelder Maar The Weinfelder Maar, formed by volcanic activity around 20,000 to 30,000 years ago, is the highest of the three Daun Maars at 487 meters above sea level. The lake is 51 meters deep and has a diameter of 396 to 429 meters. An almost melancholic atmosphere surrounds the maar. Many legends surround the tranquil Eifel eye. A castle is said to have once stood on the site of the crater, where a count lived with his wife and only child. After returning home from a hunt, the castle had sunk as punishment for the woman's nastiness, and he found only a lake where a cradle miraculously floated his child safely to the shore. If you look at the dark surface of the water long enough, it is said that you can make out the outline of the castle. The German landscape painter Fritz von Wille was so fascinated by the Weinfelder Maar that he repeatedly immortalized it in his paintings. Among his favorite motifs was the small chapel on the north bank, dedicated to Saint Martin. It was once the parish church of the village of Weinfeld, which was ravaged by the plague in the 16th century. Anyone who rings the bells inside by pulling the ropes can make a wish. To this day, the associated cemetery is maintained and used by the local community of Schalkenmehren. This is also where its second name, Totenmaar, comes from. Donkeys and goats have been introduced to the Weinfelder Maar to regulate vegetation. The maar's unique flora and fauna are protected. Swimming and other water sports are prohibited in the Weinfelder Maar, but a nearly two-kilometer-long path makes it a wonderful place to explore on foot. Parking: Guests can park along the L64 either in the parking lot at the Weinfelder Maar or on the Maarsattel between the Weinfelder Maar and the Schalkenmehrener Maar. Text / Source: GesundLand Vulkaneifel GmbH, Leopoldstr. 9 A, 54550 Daun https://www.eifel.info/a-weinfelder-maar

The middle of the three Dauner Maare is probably also the most beautiful Maar, around the crater lake leads a beautiful circular path, on the heights of the crater you come to the vantage point on the Mauseberg, the church of St. Martin von Weinfeld, the Pilatusfels and the Maarkreuz. The Maar can be reached from two hiking car parks.

The church dedicated to Saint Martin is located just above the Weinfelder Maar - also Totenmaar - and is one of the oldest churches in the Eifel. Although the village of Weinfeld became practically uninhabited in the 16th century due to the plague and disappeared, the church and cemetery remained. A look into the little church is worthwhile.

There is a car park on the road above the Maare. After crossing the road, a path leads down to the Maar, from where you can hike in various directions.

A herd of donkeys is usually in the pasture. The animals are completely tame and love to be petted.

Blessed to be able to take a walk around the three 'maars'. Such beautiful scenery and views. This region is highly recommended.