Since 2004, Erkensruhr has been surrounded by Eifel National Park. The routes described offer different ways to plan your outing: the village walk gives an approximate distance and duration, while other routes specify their starting points or destinations. This lets you choose an option based on the type of route and the focus you’re looking for.
Creation Path: Texts, Forest and Labyrinth
The Creation Path has ten stations featuring short biblical and literary texts for meditation. It leads through a dark spruce forest and an old mixed beech forest, past rocky outcrops covered in lichen and moss. At the end is the walkable stone labyrinth, “Path to the Centre”; from there, you can enjoy far-reaching views across Eifel National Park. The route combines short text stops with different forest landscapes and ends at a distinctive destination. If you appreciate texts and meditation as well as scenery on a walk, the Creation Path offers a clear focus on both.
Choose Hiking Routes by Starting Point and Route Profile
Theme Tour 3 begins in Hirschrott at the end of Erkensruhr or Hirschrott streets. From the “Finkenauel” hiking car park in Erkensruhr, follow the road for about 1.5 kilometres to the starting point. Several disused slate mines lie along the route, providing a habitat for bats. The route therefore features both a specific landmark and a nature theme. As road access information may change, it is advisable to check it before setting off.
The approximate distance and duration of Village Walk 65 in Erkensruhr are specified: it is about 6.7 kilometres long and takes approximately 2.5 hours. By contrast, Trail 75, “Püngelbach,” can be identified by its route: it leads from Einruhr through the Erkensruhr valley to the forest chapel in Hirschrott. For the village walk, distance and duration help with planning your time; for the Püngelbach Trail, the starting point, valley section and destination provide your bearings. This lets you decide whether an approximate time estimate or a route with clearly named destinations matters more to you.
Local History and a Monthly Bread-Baking Date
Erkensruhr was established in the first decades of the 19th century as the youngest village settlement in the Monschau region. Its origins can therefore be placed in an early period of the 19th century. Et Backes offers a regular event: fresh wood-fired oven bread is available there on the first Saturday of every month. The dates listed for 2026 may change, so please check the date you wish to visit before setting off.
More Routes in the Wider Destination of Simmerath
If you’d also like to compare options in the wider destination of Simmerath, there are further route profiles to choose from. The Panorama Trail is 15.1 kilometres long, starts at the village square in Simmerath-Strauch and leads through typical Eifel farmland to the Michelshof wind farm. Along the way, it offers panoramic views of the Eifel landscape, Lake Rur and the Kermeter on the opposite shore. The 14.2-kilometre Rursee Heights Trail starts at the Rursee Centre in Simmerath-Rurberg. For cycling, the 26-kilometre “Around Lake Rur” tour goes around the lake. These details distinguish both route lengths and activities; when choosing, consider which tour suits your planned timeframe and preferred way of getting around.
Discover more destinations: Alsdorf, Herzogenrath, Hahn, WĂĽrselen, Aachen, Simmerath, Rurberg, Lammersdorf.
Back to the main travel overview: Aachen.
