Monastery Route

This time the beautiful city of Monschau was the starting point of our hike. Starting from the parking lot, the beginning was a bit confused, as some of the paths were still closed. Nevertheless we got behind the church to the ascent towards Eselsturm, past the grounds of the former castle and continued our way downhill and uphill to Ehrensteinsley. In addition to the beautiful view from there, we also met a nun - matching the monastery route. 😁 We went further down to the wild Rur, in order to follow it along in its wildly romantic bed, before we unfortunately had to move away from it, as the path continued over the former, now tarred, railway line. However, this piece of asphalt was lined with flowers and butterflies, so that this piece also had its charm. From the route you also had a view of Reichenstein Monastery. Past fields and meadows that looked like alpine pastures, including cowbells, the path continued over many narrow, winding paths past rocks and beautiful views to the Perlenbachtalsperre and on to the highlights of Engelsley and Teufelsley, whereby we got a little more from Teufelsley expected. When we arrived back in Monschau, we made the difficult search for a place to stop. Since many localities were already full, empty seats were reserved or cafes closed in front of our noses, we would have almost given up hope if Svenja hadn't discovered a restaurant with a Rur terrace where two seats had just been vacated. So we were able to strengthen ourselves after this great tour and let the beautiful day end in peace. ☺️ Monschau and the monastery route are warmly recommended to anyone interested! 😊

So this time not a city hike like Berlin or Lisbon. Off into nature. Today I took advantage of the beautiful autumn weather 🍁🍂. Hiked in the Eifel again. I discovered the monastery route by chance. A very nice tour. Part of it is also on the Eifelsteig. I didn't start in Monschau but a few km earlier. You can also go through Monschau. Very beautiful place. From the hiking trail you also have a very nice view of the town. This hiking trail is worth it. It is also a little challenging 😥

Very nice varied tour. Better to go only in dry weather because of some difficult passages

Today I was out and about in the Eifel. The monastery route leads around Monschau. Lots of narrow root paths, lots of fir forests, covered in a green carpet of moss and a clear view along the fields - that's how my tour began, which I was very excited about. Along natural paths, I first went along the drinking water reservoir to Engelsley and Teufelsley, two impressive slate rocks. Then I went along the Rur stream to the historic town of Monschau. Lots of beautiful half-timbered houses and a medieval town that is really worth seeing made the tour even more varied.

That was my 2nd Eifel tour on Friday after I had chosen the moor route on Thursday. This tour was now much more demanding because it was really a mountain and valley tour. Early in the morning I hiked almost 100 meters down from my accommodation to the city center. It was still a heavenly peace before I could climb a lot of stairs up again. The next highlight was the cross at the top of the Ehrensteinley with a wonderful view over the Eifel and then the descent to the Rur, now properly filled with rainwater and loudly rushing along. The 2nd section of the tour is a little less strenuous in the direction of the Perlenbach dam. I was lucky in my misfortune. My hiking shoes said goodbye after almost 1200 km. The sole on the left heel had become independent. Good that it happened before the Camino at the end of August. The new shoes will arrive on Monday, so a few kilometers to break them in are still necessary. I hiked the last few kilometers uphill back to the accommodation. In the end it was really enough. The hiking trails alternated constantly between forest paths, forest roads and asphalt routes. The route was well marked with monastery route signs.

Because of parking fees you should do not start in Monschau. We have found a good free parking space for 10 cars outside of the city, directly at the short entrance to the monastery route.

Today, I headed for the Monastery Route near Monschau. It's a partner trail of the Eifelsteig. After parking the car at the glassworks, I first headed uphill on the Eifelsteig. After a brief detour around Monschau, the trail led me up to the castle. After descending back to Monschau, the Monastery Route started at kilometer 1.9, directly below the Felsenkeller (rock cellar). From here, it climbs steeply to Ehrensteinsley. Afterward, the trail descends again into the Rur Valley and then continues uphill along the Rur River. The tour planners could have easily omitted the 1.3 kilometers on the subsequent Vennbahn Cycle Path, even though you can at least catch a glimpse of Reichenstein Monastery from here. The open sections below Kalterherberg were beautiful to walk on. Unfortunately, further along, there are many "forest highways." The trail then leads from the inflow of the Perlenbach around the dam and rejoins the Eifelsteig. Now it's another steep climb, but you'll be rewarded with a walk through the stunning slate rock formations. From here, you roll downhill again to the car.

A really great path with many panoramas, moss-root paths and a lot of variety. Extremely many beautiful impressions made the tour an unforgettable experience. Highly recommended and rich in ridge paths with Engels-, Teufels- and Ehrensteinley.