62 - Unterwegs in Imgenbroich

The Nideggen bathing forest and the Heimbach Meuchelberg: two natural treasures - each worth a hike in its own right - but something very special when combined.

On the evening of September 11, 1944, just fourteen weeks after the Normandy landings, the 1st US Army stood on the German border and on the Siegfried Line, a line that was not actually to be reached until May 1945.

The watercourses and their floodplains are a typical and ecologically valuable part of the Rureifel with a great wealth of flora and fauna. This diversity is thanks to the farmers who have mowed the meadows for centuries. When modern forms of farming close to villages made haymaking in the valleys no longer worthwhile, spruce trees were planted there. Efforts are currently being made in many places to restore the original floodplain vegetation. The characteristic terracing can be seen in many places along the hiking trail. This occurs when a river is no longer able to transport its debris load and deposits it in the floodplain. If a river deepens again due to a change in climate, it cuts through the previously formed terrace. The formerly swampy valleys of the Eifel only acquired their function as traffic routes after the river regulation at the beginning of the 20th century.

The long road to the church service

One of the last Highland moors in Europe. One particulary special nature experience are the hiking trails over wooden walkways.