Crisp ascents, followed by breathtaking panoramas, and rapid descents into a valley along a wild riverbank – the Eifel Peak Route Cycle Path (Eifel-Höhen-Route) takes you up and down through the most beautiful landscapes of the Eifel. This low mountain range in the west of Germany is impressively versatile and beautiful all-year-around. Here, dense forests meet enormous reservoirs, juniper heaths meet daffodil meadows, and idyllic valleys meet lofty heights. The Eifel Peak Route Cycle Path doesn’t just offer stunning scenery. The region’s eventful history has also left its mark. You ride past traces of the past from the Middle Ages through to industrialisation and World War II.

Starting from the source of the River Ahr near the municipality of Blankenheim, you cycle through the ‘Tuscany of the Eifel’ to Hellenthal municipality, which has a birds of prey centre. Behind the picturesque Olef Dam, you ride past blooming wild daffodils and through the picturesque cloth making town of Monschau. The jagged rocks of the Rur Valley lead you to the Einruhr region, where the impressive water of the Rur Dam begins. Here, you can choose between two different length options along the dam. Both variants end in the pretty health resort of Gemünd. On the final stage, you visit Kall, Urft and Nettersheim, and explore historical remains from the Romans up until the last century.

This Collection summarises the official stages of the Eifel Peak Route Cycle Path for you. The route follows a 230-kilometre (143-mile) circuit around the Eifel National Park. It gets its name for good reason as you pedal up about 3,000 metres (9,850 feet) in altitude. But, what goes up must come down, remember! It’s guaranteed to be fun and filled with spectacular panoramas. The stages vary in length from 50 to a maximum of 70 kilometres (31 to 44 miles). If you are looking for a reasonable challenge then the Eifel Peak Route Cycle Path is ideal.

The route mainly runs over asphalt and roads, but it’s unpaved in places so a touring bike or gravel bike is best-suited. If you like to have a little help up the climbs, then you can also ride your e-bike or pedelec. If you prefer to use your road bike, then I recommend checking the surface types of the individual stages before setting off and adjusting them slightly if necessary.

There are several options to reach the route by train. The Regionalbahn 22, also known as the Eifel route, runs between Cologne, Kall, Urft, Nettersheim and Blankenheim (forest). You can also catch the train in Heimbach on the third stage. From Cologne, you can take the S-Bahn to Düren, where you can change to the Rurtalbahn. Thanks to its excellent connections to Cologne, sections of the route can be done as day trips. You can also travel easily from Koblenz, Bonn, or Aachen to take a nice short holiday or weekend trip.

In the respective stage destinations, you can find plenty of accommodation which you can book online in advance. There are also lots of idyllic places to pitch your tent, by the water or under fir trees. The Eifel National Park is also one of the few International Star Parks in Germany where the Milky Way can be seen with the naked eye. If that’s not a reason to spend the night under the starry sky, then I don’t know what is!