EifelSchleife Origins of Blankenheim (Municipality of Blankenheim)

The small half-timbered town of Blankenheim with its nearly 2,000 inhabitants is the focal point of this easy hike and offers surprisingly much to see for its size. The first eye-catcher is the elevated Blankenheim Castle, a castle complex built in the twelfth century that was the ancestral seat of the Blankenheim family.

But even down in the beautiful historic town center, there is much to discover, such as the hidden source of the Ahr. In the cellar of a half-timbered house from 1726, the Ahr springs with a flow of twelve liters per second. The spring chamber can be viewed from outside.

The hiking trail also leads you to another highlight: the Römer villa Blankenheim, one of the most significant archaeological monuments in the Rhineland. The installation of a former Roman estate, perched on a hill, stands on ancient foundations and impressively illustrates the size and splendor of a Roman residential and agricultural estate.

From the starting point, walk left along Klosterstraße and turn right at Zuckerberg. You take the steps up to Blankenheim Castle and turn left behind the castle into Tiergarten street. Follow the signs into the forest and cross Bahnhofstraße (K69) and In der Rhenn. At the forest intersection, go right, at the next turn right again and follow the path to Römerstraße, which leads you left over the B51/B258.

You turn left again into the forest, cross the B51/B258 once more and follow the path until you turn left onto Dörfer Weg. Turn left into Königstraße and left into In den Alzen, and you will reach the Römer villa to your right. You cross the grounds and follow the signs to the roundabout where you turn right onto Trierer Straße. You turn left into the forest, cross Lühbergstraße and turn left onto Nonnenbacher Weg. Follow the signs to the town center.