Stage hike: Hocheifel-Panorama-Weg (Adenau - Insul)

From the historic market square in Adenau the route leads through the picturesque Johanniter town out of town to the Hüstert hiking car park. Through dense, dreamy forest, it soon steadily climbs from the idyllic valley up to the heights of Reifferscheid. Between fields and meadows, the route leads to the unique viewpoint Hürstnück, a nature reserve with rare heath and dry grassland areas. Looking back, the highest points of the region appear prominently on the horizon: The Hohe Acht, the Nürburg castle ruins with the Nürburgring characterize the picture of the wild romantic Hocheifel landscape.

Already the imposing Aremberg appears ahead of us, a mighty witness of volcanic past from the tertiary era. Wonderful distant views from the Winnerather Höhe to the Siebengebirge enchant the hiker until it goes down again through the dense deciduous forest into the valley to the peaceful Eifel village of Insul.

Highlights along the way:

• Historic market square of Adenau
• Panoramic view | Hürstnück nature reserve
• Panoramic view | Game enclosure near Winnerath
• Panoramic view | Winnerather Höhe
• Village center Insul with historic half-timbered houses

We leave the market square of Adenau, first keep right and cross the main road at the pedestrian crossing near Rossmann to get to the opposite side. After about 400 m, we follow the roundabout of Blankenheimer Straße out of town until after about 350 m we reach the Hüstert hiking car park and here first follow the Eulenweg nature trail straight ahead for about 600 m. About 200 m after the next left curve, a steep path leads down about 80 m to the right. At the end of the steep path, we first keep right and after another 50 m left again, leave the fishing ponds to the left and right of us and turn right at the next fork. Over a small bridge, the route leads straight ahead until we reach an asphalted section of the path. Here, we turn sharply left at the small shrine and initially follow the signposted route straight ahead, steadily uphill. At the next opportunity, we keep left by crossing the small bridge. At the end of the short steep section, we orient ourselves right again and follow the farm track to the next bridge. This one is also crossed and then we turn left again. After the steep climb on the gravel path, it first goes right again and somewhat more moderate through the forest towards Reifferscheid. After a sharp left curve, the route reaches the forest road in the village of Reifferscheid. There we turn left onto Am Knopp street. Here, right again into Ellerstraße, which we follow to the left at the next crossroads. Then we briefly follow Euskirchener Straße to the right and turn right onto the asphalted route towards Lückenbach.
After about 200 m, we follow the left curve and after 400 m leave the asphalted route to turn slightly left onto a meadow path, which we first follow for 500 m to then turn sharply left at the end, follow the sharp right curve after 200 m and go straight for 200 m. We turn left at a 90° angle and hike straight for 500 m uphill between fields and meadows to the Hürstnück ridge. On the ridge, it first goes left and shortly after the bench down right again, left past the small wood, at the next fork right again and after 100 m the route bends left to lead straight ahead to Winnerath. On the outskirts of Winnerath, we turn left onto Martinsnück street. At the next intersection, sharp left and sharp right again onto Kapellenstraße until the edge of the town. Here, continue to follow the asphalted route. After 1.3 km, it goes left into the forest. We follow the forest path straight for about 2 km and then follow the sharp left curve down through the forest towards Insul. On the outskirts, we first go right and after 300 m turn left again into Kapellenstraße to the starting point.

The route is consistently marked with the route logo and can also be walked in the opposite direction. Public transport connection on weekdays with line 865 between Insul and Adenau www.vrminfo.de