A castle at an elevation of 678 metres, hiking trails with views across the Eifel and motorsport history on the Nordschleife: Nürburg offers several specific starting points for planning your trip. Whether you are interested in historic buildings, routes of varying lengths or experiences related to the Nürburgring, these highlights are easy to distinguish from one another.
Castle ruins and church: history spanning several centuries
Nürburg Castle was built in the 12th century by the Counts of Are. It stands on a basalt cone and, at 678 metres, is the highest-altitude castle in Rhineland-Palatinate. The basalt rock was already mentioned around 954 as “Mons nore”. At the castle, you can therefore encounter both an early historical reference to the rock and a structure dating from the High Middle Ages.
The castle ruins’ 20-metre-high keep can be climbed. From there, the view extends across the Hocheifel, surrounding villages and the Nordschleife. Check visitor access before you arrive. St. Nicholas Church also offers a glimpse of different building periods: a church in Nürburg is first documented in 1202; the present-day church has a Gothic choir dating from the 15th century. Its Baroque nave and tower were built in 1816/17.
Hiking trails with different route profiles
The red hiking route offers panoramic views across the Eifel and passes a former ski jump on the northern slope of the castle hill. On the yellow route, follow sections of the Nordschleife: Antoniusbuche, Tiergarten and Hatzenbach. It also passes disused quarries that supplied building materials for the construction of the Nordschleife. The trails thus connect different perspectives on the landscape and the history surrounding the race track.
Two further figures provide a clear comparison for planning your route: the Kleine Burgrunde is 0.8 kilometres long, while the Grüne Hölle follows more than 20.8 kilometres of the Nordschleife. These are very different distances; base your choice on the route length you want and check current trail conditions before setting out.
Watch motorsport or drive yourself
The Nürburgring’s approximately 1.5-hour Backstage Tour takes visitors to selected areas and offers insights into motorsport history. The listed stops include the pits, pit lane, media centre, paddock and winners’ podium. If you would rather drive yourself, the Nürburgring offers tourist drives on the Nordschleife and Grand Prix circuit in your own car or on your motorcycle. The tour and the drive offer different experiences. Check driving times and operating rules in advance.
The Nordschleife is also part of the cycling scene: the “Durch die Grüne Hölle” mountain bike route runs around it. The 24-hour Rad am Ring mountain bike race takes place around Nürburg and starts at the Nürburgring paddock. If an event date is part of your plans, check the latest dates.
Winter activities and group planning
Depending on snow conditions, people go sledging on the castle hill. Starting points include Burgstraße and the An der Steintränke car park. Cross-country ski trails of varying lengths are also groomed around Nürburg; one starting point is the car park at Graf-Ulrich-Halle. These activities depend on winter conditions, so plan accordingly based on the snow conditions.
For group plans, the municipal Burgweiherhütte just outside Nürburg is an option. It has toilets, electricity and water, and is designed for groups of 10 to 40 people. The hut is accessible by car, with parking nearby. Confirm bookings and the availability of facilities in advance.
Discover more destinations: Kaltenborn, Wershofen, Pomster, Quiddelbach, Eichenbach, Aremberg, Niederadenau, Wimbach.
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