The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Alflen

Idyllic location with high geological information value regarding Eifel volcanism.

One of the youngest maars in the Eifel region nestles picturesquely against the small town of Ulmen with its castle ruins and church right on the shore - idyllic and simply beautiful!

A true paradise stretches out on the edge of the village of Ulmen on a plateau beneath the Steimelskopf, where a volcano once erupted with a tremendous bang, forming a deep crater with a maar lake, which now serves as a renowned bird sanctuary. The exact age of the Jungferweiher lake cannot be determined, but its morphological shape suggests it is several hundred thousand years old. In early modern times, the Lords of Ulmen used the lake as a fishpond for carp breeding, until it gradually silted up over time, and the residents of Ulmen harvested peat from the former maar for heating purposes. However, in 1942, the decision was made to flood the area again by damming the Ulmener Bach to secure the drinking water supply for the Cochem-Zell district. Today, the Jungferweiher lake, located at an altitude of 428 meters above sea level, covers an area of approximately 170,000 square meters with a depth of 0.8 meters. The pond, along with the Ulmener Maar, is protected for its rare flora and fauna. Many endangered species, such as the snipe and the meadow pipit, breed in the reed-rich banks, while ospreys have been observed hunting. Migratory birds such as cranes, teals, and great grey shrikes roost in the meadows near the Ulmener Jungferweiher every year. Therefore, a walk along the approximately 3-kilometer loop is a must, especially during the migration periods in spring and autumn. At the bird observatory on the western bank, you can observe the birds in their natural habitat. Nowadays, a wide variety of fish species thrive in the shallow waters of the Ulmener Weiher, which can be fished from a fishing pier on the southern bank. Swimming and other water sports are prohibited, however. Fishing permits are issued by the local municipal administration in Ulmen. Since 2023, the Ulmener Maar Tunnel has connected the Jungferweiher underground to the Ulmener Maar. A visit to the 126-metre-long tunnel is highly recommended!

Historic chapel and stamping point for Camino hikers.

Here is a nice rest area with a view of the Ulmener Maar.

The Ulmen Maar is a maar belonging to the town of Ulmen in the Eifel region of Rhineland-Palatinate. The meromictic lake is up to 37 meters deep and is surrounded by an average 20-meter-high wall of tuff rock formed from the eruptions of the former volcano.

According to legend, Heinrich von Ulmen is said to have deposited a bag of earth from Christ's grave at the St. Anthony's Cross in the 17th century.

Here you can relax with a great view of the Ulmener Maar