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Germany

North Rhine-Westphalia

Kreis Düren

Heimbach

Heimbach Reservoir – Mariawald Abbey loop from Rur Dam

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Germany

North Rhine-Westphalia

Kreis Düren

Heimbach

Heimbach Reservoir – Mariawald Abbey loop from Rur Dam

Moderate

4.8

(185)

610

hikers

Heimbach Reservoir – Mariawald Abbey loop from Rur Dam

03:41

12.4km

360m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: June 19, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Nationalpark Eifel

Naturpark Hohes Venn-Eifel

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

517 m

Kermeter

Forest

1.82 km

Heimbach Reservoir

Highlight • Lake

Very tranquil and romantic paths at the Heimbach reservoir. The beautiful beer garden is recommended

Translated by Google •

Tip by

3.18 km

Wooden Walkway at Heimbach Reservoir (Rur)

Highlight • Trail

Along the reservoir over a wooden walkway 👍

Translated by Google •

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3.20 km

Wooden boardwalks at Heimbach Reservoir

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

Beautiful footpath, partly over wooden footbridges, in the immediate vicinity of the shore.

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3.81 km

Wooden boardwalk at the Heimbach Reservoir

Highlight • Trail

The Heimbach reservoir is not actually a dam, but a so-called compensation basin. It serves to compensate for the fluctuations in the water level caused by the intermittent operation of the peak current power plants in the Urft and Rurtalsperre. These two hydropower plants usually only produce electricity when larger demand peaks are expected or measured in the general high-voltage network, which is usually the case in the mornings of working days. In the rest of the time the machines are idle and therefore no water inevitably flows into the reservoir. The usable space of the reservoir is therefore filled with water within a few hours when the power plants are in operation. Then the storage volume is dosed and drained in such a way that the underflow of the river bed of the Rur is continuously exposed to an amount of water that meets the ecological requirements of the flowing water and the requirements of other requirements. Source: nationalparktor.de/nationalparkstadtheimbach/wasserinfos/wasserinfos.html

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5.07 km

Stations of the Cross to Mariawald Abbey (Eifel National Park)

Highlight (Segment) • Religious Site

A beautifully designed Way of the Cross, which makes a hike up to the monastery entertaining.

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6.22 km

Mariawald Abbey

Highlight • Religious Site

Unfortunately, Mariwawald Monastery will be closed during the year 2018. The ten monks who live here are now very old and can not operate the monastery without support. In addition, the monastery does not generate enough money to finance the monastery. At the moment there is still discussion about a continued use of the buildings. It is hoped that it will continue to be a spiritual place that honors the centuries-old tradition.

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6.51 km

View of Mariawald Abbey

Highlight • Viewpoint

The foundation of the monastery goes back to the pilgrimage to "Our Lady in the Forest". Cistercian monks built a monastery here in 1480 instead of the chapel, but its days were numbered when the revolutionary army occupied the left bank of the Rhine in 1794. Restoration of the lands and renovation work only began in 1860 with the purchase by the Trappist abbot Ephrem van der Meulen. The severe damage from World War II was repaired between 1944 and 1961 and the monastery was resumed. Today the monks live a strictly regulated daily routine. The principle of St. Following Benedict, they live from the work of their hands and share their bread with the guests and the poor. Guests are invited to visit the monastery's inn and taste the popular pea soup. The monastery has become more important for visitors because it is located in the middle of the Eifel National Park.

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6.61 km

Mariawald Soldiers' Cemetery

Highlight • Historical Site

Especially in the present time you should take a moment here and commemorate the fallen from the Second World War. Maybe think of the many dead in Ukraine who are currently having to die there.

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12.4 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

7.16 km

3.64 km

1.38 km

199 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

4.18 km

2.98 km

2.88 km

2.14 km

203 m

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (470 m)

Lowest point (210 m)

Weather

Tuesday 7 July

24°C

17°C

24 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 15.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

October 16, 2021,Schwammenauel-Staubecken Heimbach – Kriegsgräberstätte Mariawald Eifel

A great varied tour, started at the dam wall in fog, climbed through great autumn forests, then leisurely to Mariawald, of course with the famous pea soup. The descent at the Kreuzweg is officially closed due to flood damage (see photos. One spot), but it is easy to walk. If you want, you can use the German Unity long-distance hiking …

Showing Translation

March 6, 2022,Heimbach–Kloster Mariawald

A beautiful tour in fantastic hiking weather, dry, cool and sunny with very nice company as always with you two. Great stop with the obligatory soup in the Mariawald monastery

(de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abtei_Mariawald)

And back along the Heimbach reservoir, again a little dream with the light reflections on the water surface walked over the footbridges

Showing Translation

July 6, 2024,Kloster Mariawald von Heimbach

At the beginning the GPS didn't work properly. We walked the Way of the Cross to Mariawald.

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Heimbach Reservoir – Mariawald Abbey loop from Rur Dam

Heimbach Reservoir

Wooden Walkway at Heimbach Reservoir (Rur)

Wooden boardwalks at Heimbach Reservoir

Wooden boardwalk at the Heimbach Reservoir

Stations of the Cross to Mariawald Abbey (Eifel National Park)

Mariawald Abbey

View of Mariawald Abbey

Mariawald Soldiers' Cemetery

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