Eifel

The Eifel is a low mountain range in western Germany, eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Community of Belgium.
The Eifel is part of the Rhenish Massif; within its northern portions lies the Eifel National Park. The Eifelian stage in geological history is named after the region because rocks of that period reach the surface in the Eifel at the Wetteldorf Richtschnitt outcrop.
The inhabitants of the Eifel are known as Eiflers or Eifelers.

Geography

Location

The Eifel lies between the cities of Aachen to the north, Trier to the south and Koblenz to the east. It descends in the northeast along a line from Aachen via Düren to Bonn into the Lower Rhine Bay. In the east and south it is bounded by the valleys of the Rhine and the Moselle. To the west it transitions in Belgium and Luxembourg into the geologically related Ardennes and the Luxembourg Ösling. In the north it is limited by the Jülich-Zülpicher Börde. Within Germany it lies within the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia; in the Benelux the area of Eupen, St. Vith and Luxembourg. Its highest point is the volcanic cone of the Hohe Acht. Originally the Carolingian Eifelgau only covered the smaller region roughly around the sources of the rivers Ahr, Kyll, Urft and Erft. Its name was more recently transferred to the entire region.

Topography

The Eifel belongs to that part of the Rhenish Massif whose rolling plateau is categorised as peneplain highland, which was formed by the erosion of the ancient mountains of the Variscan mountain building phase and subsequent further uplifting. Individual mountain chains, up to, such as the Schneifel and High Fens, run through the western part of the plateau. In the eastern part, in the High Eifel and Volcanic Eifel, individual cinder cones and basalt kuppen, like the Hohe Acht and the Ernstberg, emerged as a result of volcanicity in the Tertiary and Quaternary periods and rise above the undulating countryside.
The rivers draining into the Moselle, Rhine and Meuse, such as the Our, Kyll, Ahr, Brohlbach and Rur, have cut deep into the edge of the Eifel and formed larger valleys.
The Eifel covers an area of and is geographically divided into the North and South Eifel. It is further divided into several natural regional landscapes, some with further subdivisions.

National and nature parks

Since 2004, part of the North Eifel has been designated as the Eifel National Park. There are also four nature parks in the Eifel : Rhineland, High Fens-Eifel, Volcanic Eifel, and South Eifel, although the first extends only partly into the northern foothills of the Eifel.

Divisions

Overview

There are several distinct chains within the Eifel:

The northernmost parts are called North Eifel including Rur Eifel the origin of the river Rur, High Fens and the Limestone Eifel.
The northeastern part is called Ahr Hills and rise north of the Ahr river in the district of Ahrweiler.
South of the Ahr is the High Eifel, with the Hohe Acht being the highest mountain of the Eifel.
In the west, on the Belgian border, the hills are known as Schneifel, rising up to. Also in the west, by the Belgian and Luxembourg border, the region is known as Islek.
The southern half of the Eifel is lower. It is cut by several rivers running north–south towards the Moselle. The largest of these is the Kyll, and the hills on either side of this river are called the Kyllwald.
In the south the Eifel is concluded by the Voreifel above the Moselle.

Since 2004, about of the Eifel within the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia have been protected as the Eifel National Park nature reserve.

Natural regional divisions

Up to 1960, the German part of the Eifel, which belonged to the natural region of the Rhenish Massif, was, according to the Handbook of the Natural Region Divisions of Germany, divided into three major unit groups and these were subdivided into major natural units. These divisions were subsequently refined in the individual map sheets ''Trier/Mettendorf, Cochem and Cologne/Aachen'' as follows; for the most detailed natural region divisions in Rhineland-Palatinate, fact files were produced by the state information system of the conservation administration :

56 Venn Foreland
* 560 Venn Foothills
** 560.0 Kornelimünster Venn Foreland
* 561 Aachen Hills
** 561.0 Stolberg Valley
** 561.1 Aachen Bowl
** 561.2 Aachen Forest
** 561.3 Vaals Hills
28 West Eifel
* 280 Islek and Ösling
** 280.0 Eastern Islek
*** 280.00 Lascheid Plateau
*** 280.01 Middle Prüm Valley
** 280.1 Central Islek
*** 280.10 Arzfeld Plateau
*** 280.11 Neuerburg Enz Valley
*** 280.12 Karlshausen Plateau
** 280.2 Western Islek
*** 280.20 Leidenborn Plateau
*** 280.21 Winterscheid Plateau
** 280.3 Middle Our Valley
*** 280.30 Urb-Vianden Our Valley
*** 280.31 Genting Our Valley
** 280.4 Southern Schneifel Foreland
** 280.5 Islek Foothills
* 281 Western High Eifel
** 281.0 Schneifel Ridge
** 281.1 Northern Schneifel Foreland
*** 281.10 Brandscheid Schneifel Foreland
*** 281.11 Manderfeld Schneifel Foreland
** 281.2 Grenzwald Ridge
*** 281.20 Ommerscheid
*** 281.21 Losheim Forest
** 281.3 Oberes Kyll Valley
** 281.4 Duppach Ridge
* 282 Rur Eifel
** 282.0 Düren Eifel Foothills
** 282.1 Hürtgen Plateau
** 282.2 Monschau Hedge Land
** 282.3 Rur-Urft-Olef Valleys
*** 282.30 Monschau-Rurberg Rur Valley
*** 282.31 Gemünd Urft and Olef Valleys
*** 282.32 Urftsee Region
*** 282.33 Rursee Region
*** 282.34 Heimbach-Maubach Rur Valley
** 282.4 Monschau-Hellenthal Forest Plateau
** 282.5 Dreiborn Plateau
** 282.6 Hollerath-Broich Plateau
*** 282.60 Hollerath Plateau
*** 282.61 Broich Plateau
** 282.7 Wildenburg Plateau
** 282.8 Kermeter Forest
* 283 High Fens
** 283.0 Venn Plateau
*** 283.00 Lammersdorf Fen Plateau
** 283.1 Northern Venn Foothills
*** 283.10 Roetgen Venn Foothills
** Roer Spring Plateau
** Upland of the Upper Warche
* Eastern High Ardennes
** St. Vith Plateau
27 East Eifel
* 270 Moselle Eifel
** 270.0 Eastern Moselle Eifel
*** 270.00 Elz Valley
*** 270.01 Kaisersesch Eifel Perimeter
*** 270.02 Gevenich Plateau
** 270.1 Lower Üßbach Valley
** 270.2 Kondelwald
** 270.3 Offling Plateau
** 270.4 Middle Lieser Valley
** 270.5 Southern Volcanic Eifel
*** 270.50 Daun-Manderscheid Volcanic Hills
*** 270.51 Dauner Maar Region
** 270.6 Wittlich Hedge Land
*** 270.60 Naurather Horst
*** 270.61 Arenrath Plateau
*** 270.62 Littgen Plateau
** 270.7 Meulenwald
* 271 Eastern High Eifel
** 271.0 Olbrück Eifel Perimeter
** 271.1 Kempenich Tuff Plateau
** 271.2/3 Central Eastern High Eifel
*** 271.2 Hohe Acht/Nitz-Nette Upland
**** 271.20 Hohe Acht Upland
**** 271.21 Nitz-Nette Forest
*** 271.3 Elzbach Heights
** 271.4 Southwest foothills of the Eastern High Eifel
*** 271.40 Trierbach-Lieser Source Upland
*** 271.41 Üßbach Upland
*** 271.42 Müllenbach Riedelland
*** 271.43 Middle Üßbach Valley
* 272 Ahr Eifel
** 272.0 Reifferscheid Upland
** 272.1 Northern Ahr Upland
** 272.2 Middle Ahr Valley
*** 272.20 Dümpelfeld Ahr Valley
*** 272.21 Recher Ahreng Valley
** 272.3 Southern Ahr Upland
* 274 Münster Eifel Forest and Northeastern Foot of the Eifel
** 274.0 Münstereifel Valley
** 274.1 Münstereifel Forest
** 274.2 Swist Eifel Foothills
** 274.3 Königsfeld Eifel Foothills
* 275 Mechernich Pre-Eifel
** 275.0 Wollersheim ScarplandBetween natural regions 272.0 and 272.2 on the Cologne/Aachen map sheet no boundary is shown. It probably runs from Eicks via Kommern to Firmenich.
** 275.1 Vlatten Hills
** 275.2 Mechernich Uplands
** 275.3 Antweil Basin
** 275.4 Billig Ridge
* 276 Limestone Eifel
** 276.0 Sötenich Limestone Basin
** 276.1 Blankenheim and Zingsheim Forest
*** 276.10 Zingsheim Forest
*** 276.11 Blankenheim Forest
** 276.2 Blankenheim Limestone Ridge
** 276.3 Eichholz Ridge
** 276.4 Rohr Limestone Basin
** 276.5 Dollendorf Limestone Basin
** 276.6 Senkenbusch
** 276.7 Ahrdorf-Hillesheim Limestone Basin
*** 276.70 Ahrdorf Limestone Basin
*** 276.71 Hillesheim Limestone Basin
** 276.8 Northern Volcanic Eifel
*** 276.80 Kyll Volcanic Eifel
*** 276.81 Dockweiler Volcanic Eifel
** 276.9 Southern Limestone Basin
*** 276.90 Gerolstein Limestone Basin
*** 276.91 Prüm Limestone Basin
* 277 Kyllburg Waldeifel
** 277.0 Neidenbach Sandstone Plateau
** 277.1 Middle Kyll Valley
** 277.2 Kyllburg Forest Ridge
*** 277.20 Prümscheid
*** 277.21 Wittlich Forest
** 277.3 Salm Hills

The BfN groups the 3 major unit groups under the combined group designated D45.

Mountains and hills

Apart from its valleys, the Eifel is a gently rolling plateau from which elongated mountain ridges and individual mountains rise. The majority of these summits do not attain a great height above the surrounding terrain. Several, however, like the Schwarzer Mann in the Schnee-Eifel, stand out from a long way off as long, forested ridges or clearly isolated mountaintops.
The highest mountain in the whole Eifel is the Hohe Acht at 746.9 m. It is the only Eifel summit above 700 m. However, many peaks, mountain ridges and large regions, such as the Zitterwald reach heights of over 600 m. These include two dozen peaks with good all-round views, of which many have an observation tower. From north to south they are: the Michelsberg, Häuschen and Teufelsley in the north; the Adert, Hohe Acht and Raßberg in the northeast; the Hochkel, Nerotherkopf, Dietzenley and ruins of the Kasselburg in the central area; the Prümer Kalvarienberg, Hartkopf and Prümer Kopf in the east, the Steineberg and Mäuseberg near Daun, the Hochsimmer and Scheidkopf near Mayen; the Eickelslay and Absberg in the southeast; and the Krautscheid and Hohe Kuppe in the southwest.
The mountains and hills of the Eifel include the following :

Mountain/hill	Height	Lowest level natural region	No.	Natural region major unit
Hohe Acht	746.9	Hohe Acht Upland	271.20	Eastern High Eifel
Ernstberg	699.8	Prümscheid	277.20	Kyllburger Waldeifel
unnamed summit	699.1	Schneifelrücken	281.0	Western High Eifel
Schwarzer Mann	697.8	Schneifel Ridge	281.0	Western High Eifel
Botrange	694.24	Venn Plateau	283.0	High Fens
Scharteberg	691.4	Prümscheid	277.20	Kyllburger Waldeifel
Weißer Stein	690	Monschau-Hellenthal Forest Plateau	282.4	Rur Eifel
Prümscheid	682	Prümscheid	277.20	Kyllburger Waldeifel
Castle hill of the Nürburg	676.5	Hohe Acht Upland	271.20	Eastern High Eifel
Hochkelberg	674.9	Trierbach-Lieser Spring Upland	271.40	Eastern High Eifel
Raßberg	663.8	Hohe Acht Upland	271.20	Eastern High Eifel
Steling	658.3	Venn Plateau	283.0	High Fens
Döhmberg	653.2	Dockweil Volcanic Eifel	276.81	Limestone Eifel
Nerother Kopf	651.7	Daun-Manderscheid Volcanoes	270.50	Moselle Eifel
unnamed summit	651.3	Duppach Ridge	281.4	Western High Eifel
Radersberg	637	Dockweil Volcanic Eifel	276.81	Limestone Eifel
Apert	631.3	Kyll Volcanic Eifel	276.80	Limestone Eifel
Aremberg	623.8	Kempenich Tuff Plateau	271.1	Eastern High Eifel
unnamed summit	622.7	Dreiborn Plateau	282.5	Rur Eifel
Dietzenley	617.6	Prümscheid	277.20	Kyllburger Waldeifel
Asseberg	601.5	Prümscheid	277.20	Kyllburger Waldeifel
Hardtkopf	601.5	Southern Schneifel Foreland	280.4	Islek and Ösling
Alterfaß/Alter Voß	589.9	Dockweil Volcanic Eifel	276.81	Limestone Eifel
Heidenköpfe	595	Eichholz Ridge	276.3	Limestone Eifel
Hochsimmer	587.9	Nitz-Nette Forest	271.21	Eastern High Eifel
Michelsberg	586.1	Northern Ahr Hills	272.1	Ahr Eifel
Langschoß	583.5	Lammersdorf Venn Plateau	283.0	High Fens
Gänsehals	575.3	Kempenich Tuff Plateau	271.1	Eastern High Eifel
Eigart	565.5	Dreiborn Plateau	282.5	Rur Eifel
Hochstein	563.0	Ettringer Vulkankuppen	292.01	Lower Middle Rhine region
Mäuseberg	561.2	Daun Maar Region	270.51	Moselle Eifel
Stromberg	558.2	Eichholz Ridge	276.3	Limestone Eifel
Rockeskyller Kopf	554.6	Dockweil Volcanic Eifel	276.81	Limestone Eifel
Hoher List	549.1	Daun Maar Region	270.51	Moselle Eifel
Roßbüsch	538.6	Kyll Volcanic Eifel	276.80	Limestone Eifel
Knippberg	537.3	Münstereifel Forest	274.1	Münstereifel Forest and Northeastern Foot of the Eifel
Kuhdorn	532.1	Kyll Volcanic Eifel	276.80	Limestone Eifel
Burberg	528.5	Salm Hill Country	277.3	Kyllburger Waldeifel
unnamed summit	527.8	Kermeter Forest	282.8	Rur Eifel
Wildbretshügel	525.3	Kermeter Forest	282.8	Rur Eifel
Kalvarienberg	522.8	Dollendorfer Kalkmulde	276.5	Limestone Eifel
Verbrannter Berg	516.2	Kermeter Forest	282.8	Rur Eifel
Kopnück near Kop Nück	514.4	Northern Ahr Hills	272.1	Ahr Eifel
Rother Hecke	510.5	Kyll Volcanic Eifel	276.80	Limestone Eifel
Häuschen	506.5	Southern Ahr Hills	272.3	Ahr Eifel
Hochthürmen	499.9	Northern Ahr Hills	272.1	Ahr Eifel
Teufelsley	495.9	Southern Ahr Hills	272.3	Ahr Eifel
Krufter Ofen	463.1	Laacher Kuppenland	292.0	Lower Middle Rhine region
Kellerberg	448.8	Naurather Horst	270.60	Moselle Eifel
Herkelstein	434.5	Mechernich Upland and Hill Country	275.2	Mechernich Voreifel
unnamed summit	434.1	Moselle Hills	250.2	Moselle Valley
Stockert	433.9	Mechernich Upland and Hill Country	275.2	Mechernich Voreifel
Veitskopf	428.1	Laacher Kuppenland	292.0	Lower Middle Rhine region
Monzeler Hüttenkopf	423.4	Moselle Hills	250.2	Moselle Valley
Burgberg	400.8	Hürtgen Plateau	282.1	Rur Eifel
Thelenberg	400.2	Laacher Kuppenland	292.0	Lower Middle Rhine region
Sonnenberg	393.3	Kermeter Forest	282.8	Rur Eifel
Calmont	378.4	Gevenich Plateau	270.02	Moselle Eifel
Bausenberg	339.8	Königsfelder Eifelrand	274.3	Münstereifel Forest and Northeastern Foot of the Eifel
Landskrone	271.7	Oberwinter Terraces and Hills	292.23	Lower Middle Rhine region

For a list of these and other Eifel mountains and hills see the List of mountains and hills of the Eifel.
Many of these prominent points are linked by the Eifel-Ardennes Green Route, which crosses the east and south of the region, the German Volcano Route, the German Wildlife Route and the South Eifel Holiday Route.