Eifel-Camino

The Eifel-Camino is a roughly 168-km point-to-point pilgrim trail in Germany's Rhineland-Palatinate, gaining around 3,200 m of elevation over about 7 days as it crosses the volcanic Eifel from Andernach on the Rhine to Trier. Rated moderate, it is a quiet, forest-rich branch of the Jakobsweg network ending at the historic Benedictine Abbey of St. Matthias.

About the Eifel-Camino

The Eifel-Camino is one of more than 30 partial routes that make up Germany's national network of Jakobswege — the German Ways of St. James that ultimately feed the great pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. Beginning at Andernach-Namedy on the left bank of the Rhine, the trail climbs westward over historic tracks of the Eifel uplands and ends, after roughly 168 kilometres, at the Benedictine Abbey of St. Matthias (St. Mattheis) in Trier, the only apostolic grave north of the Alps.

The route is waymarked with the traditional yellow scallop shell on a blue ground, the same symbol pilgrims have followed for centuries. From Trier the path links directly into the French pilgrimage system, connecting walkers with the wider Council of Europe cultural route — the Santiago de Compostela Pilgrim Routes were designated the first European Cultural Route in 1987. Most modern walkers, though, treat the Eifel-Camino as a self-contained 7-stage tour rather than a leg of the full 2,500-km journey to Spain.

What sets this trail apart from the better-known Camino Frances is solitude. You will rarely meet crowds here. The Eifel is a sparsely populated volcanic landscape of crater lakes (maars), beech forest, basalt quarries and small farming villages, and the Camino threads through some of its most atmospheric corners, including the abbey-and-lake setting of Maria Laach. A sister route, the Mosel-Camino, was established in 2008 and also terminates at St. Matthias; the two share a contemplative, low-key character.

Route Overview & Stages

The Eifel-Camino is most commonly walked from north to south, Andernach to Trier, so the journey ends at the apostolic grave. The stage breakdown below reflects a comfortable 7-day plan; strong walkers combine stages to finish in 5–6 days. Distances and elevation figures are approximate and round to the nearest few kilometres, as village-to-village routing varies slightly with accommodation.

The cumulative total comes to roughly 168 km with about 3,200 m of ascent — modest daily climbs that rarely exceed 600 m, which is why the trail is graded moderate rather than hard. The terrain is forgiving underfoot: forest tracks, farm lanes and quiet country roads dominate, with very little exposed or technical ground.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Andernach Cold-Water Geyser — at the start, this is the tallest cold-water geyser in the world, erupting up to 60 m on the Namedyer Werth peninsula in the Rhine.
• Laacher See — a 3.3 km-wide caldera lake formed by a catastrophic eruption around 13,000 years ago; carbon-dioxide bubbles still rise along its south-eastern shore.
• Maria Laach Abbey — a Romanesque Benedictine monastery founded in 1093, one of the most complete 12th-century churches in Germany and a working community on the lake shore.
• Hohe Acht — at 747 m the highest summit in the Eifel, crowned by the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Turm with panoramic views toward the Rhine and Mosel.
• Daun Maars — the so-called "Eyes of the Eifel," three round volcanic crater lakes (Gemündener, Weinfelder and Schalkenmehrener Maar) near Daun.
• Manderscheid Castles — the Oberburg and Niederburg, two medieval fortresses facing each other across the Lieser gorge.
• Klausen Pilgrimage Church — a late-Gothic Marian shrine that has drawn pilgrims since the 15th century, a natural waypoint before Trier.
• St. Matthias Abbey, Trier — the trail's endpoint and the only apostolic tomb north of the Alps, marking the symbolic completion of the German Camino.

Best Time to Hike the Eifel-Camino

The Eifel-Camino is walkable from April through October, with each window offering a distinct character. Spring brings carpets of wood anemone and beech in fresh leaf, while early autumn paints the maar lakes gold. The volcanic uplands sit between 300 and 700 m, so weather can shift quickly even in summer.

May is the single best month to hike the Eifel-Camino. By mid-May daytime highs settle around 16–20 °C, the forest canopy is fully out, daylight runs past 21:00, and the worst of the spring mud has dried while the summer thunderstorm season has not yet arrived. As of 2026, accommodation in the smaller villages (Kempenich, Manderscheid, Klausen) is far easier to book in May than in the July–August holiday peak, and the trails are noticeably quieter midweek.

June and September are excellent runners-up. July and August are warm and busy around the maars near Daun, with afternoon highs reaching 25–28 °C and occasional heavy storms over the high ground. October walks are atmospheric but short on daylight, and the first frosts can glaze exposed sections; winter hiking (November–March) is possible for experienced walkers but many rural guesthouses close and snow lingers on the Hohe Acht.

Practical Information

Accommodation

The Eifel-Camino runs through inhabited country every day, so there is no need to camp. Most pilgrims stay in family-run guesthouses (Gasthof or Pension) and small hotels in the stage towns. Expect to pay roughly €45–€75 per night for a double room with breakfast, or €35–€55 for a single. A handful of pilgrim hostels (Pilgerherberge) along the route offer simple beds for a donation or around €15–€25, and the Benedictine guesthouse at Maria Laach takes overnight guests on request. Youth hostels (Deutsche Jugendherberge) at Daun and Manderscheid charge roughly €28–€38 including breakfast. Wild camping is not permitted in Rhineland-Palatinate's forests; a few campsites near the Daun maars charge around €12–€18 per pitch if you carry a tent. Book ahead in summer — village beds are limited.

Getting There & Back

The trailhead at Andernach has its own station on the Rhine left-bank line, with frequent regional trains from Koblenz (15 minutes) and direct services from Cologne (about 1 hour). The nearest major airports are Frankfurt-Hahn (roughly 70 km, in the Hunsrück) and Cologne/Bonn (about 80 km), while Frankfurt International is around two hours away by train via Koblenz. At the finish, Trier Hauptbahnhof sits a short bus or 30-minute walk from St. Matthias Abbey and offers fast connections back toward Koblenz (about 1 hour 20 minutes) along the scenic Moselle line, closing the loop to your start point. Regional rail and bus timetables are published by the local transport authority, the Verkehrsverbund Region Trier.

Permits & Fees

No permit is required to walk the Eifel-Camino — Germany's right-to-roam tradition allows free access to forest and field paths. There are no trailhead fees or quotas. The only costs are accommodation, food and the optional pilgrim passport (Pilgerausweis), which costs a few euros and can be stamped along the way and at St. Matthias Abbey to certify completion. Entry to most churches is free, though donations are welcomed and a few attractions (such as the Manderscheid castle towers) charge a small admission of €2–€5. For route history and waymarking, the regional pilgrimage information is maintained by the Eifel Tourism Board.

Gear & Packing List

Because the Eifel-Camino is a hut-to-guesthouse trail rather than a wilderness trek, you can travel light — there is no need to carry a tent, stove or multiple days of food. A pack of 30–45 litres is ample for seven days of village hopping. The Abisko Hike 35 is a comfortable load-hauler for this kind of supported route, while ultralight walkers who keep their base weight low will find the 2400 Windrider or the slightly larger 3400 Windrider more than enough. If you are weighing up pack options before a longer trip, our roundup of the best ultralight backpacks of 2026 compares seven tested models.

Pack for changeable Eifel weather: a waterproof shell, a warm midlayer for the high ground around the Hohe Acht, broken-in trail shoes or light boots, and trekking poles for the longer descents into the river valleys. The forest stages have few shops, so carry 1.5–2 litres of water and a day's snacks. Daily climbs of 200–600 m burn real energy — our guide to how many calories you need hiking a full day will help you plan trail food so you are not running empty by the afternoon.

Similar Trails You Might Like

If the quiet, long-distance character of the Eifel-Camino appeals, Germany's stretch of the European long-distance network offers far bigger journeys through the same Rhineland-Palatinate landscapes and beyond. The E8 in particular shares ground with the western Eifel before continuing across the continent. Consider these related routes:

• Europäischer Fernwanderweg E8, Rheinland-Pfalz — 4,390 km
• Europäischer Fernwanderweg E8, Nordrhein-Westfalen — 4,390 km
• Europäischer Fernwanderweg E11, Sachsen-Anhalt (W) — 2,070 km
• Europäischer Fernwanderweg E11, Sachsen-Anhalt (O) — 2,070 km
• Europäischer Fernwanderweg E11, Brandenburg (O) — 2,070 km

For something steeper and more dramatic once you have the hut-to-hut rhythm, the alpine river-valley crossing in our guide to hiking Theth to Valbona in Albania makes a striking contrast to the gentle Eifel.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to hike the Eifel-Camino?
May is the best month. Daytime temperatures sit around 16–20 °C, the beech forests are in full leaf, daylight stretches past 21:00, and spring mud has dried before the summer storm season. May is also far quieter and easier to book than the July–August holiday peak, making it ideal for the rural village guesthouses along the route between Andernach and Trier.

How difficult is the Eifel-Camino?
It is rated moderate. The trail covers roughly 168 km with about 3,200 m of total ascent, but daily climbs rarely exceed 600 m and the terrain is mostly forest tracks, farm lanes and quiet roads with little technical or exposed ground. Reasonable fitness and broken-in footwear are enough; no scrambling, navigation skill or special equipment is required to complete it safely.

How many kilometres per day will I walk?
On a standard 7-day plan you walk between 21 and 26 km per day, averaging about 24 km. Stages are built around the towns of Maria Laach, Kempenich, Daun, Manderscheid, Wittlich and Klausen, which set where you sleep. Fitter walkers combine stages to finish in 5–6 days at 28–34 km daily, while slower hikers can split longer stages for shorter, gentler days.

What accommodation is available along the route?
You sleep in villages every night, so camping is unnecessary. Family-run guesthouses and small hotels cost roughly €45–€75 for a double with breakfast, while pilgrim hostels and the Maria Laach guesthouse offer simple beds from around €15–€25. Youth hostels at Daun and Manderscheid run €28–€38. Book ahead in summer, as rural villages have limited beds and fill quickly during the holiday season.

Do I need a permit or pay any fees?
No permit is needed. Germany's right-to-roam tradition gives free access to the forest and field paths, and there are no trailhead fees or quotas. Your only costs are accommodation, food and an optional pilgrim passport costing a few euros, which you can have stamped along the way and at St. Matthias Abbey in Trier to certify that you completed the pilgrimage.