Panorama trail

The hike starts at St. Matthias Church in Strauch. Built in 1850 by the villagers as a small chapel, the church quickly became too small in view of the growing population in Strauch, so that in 1922 the foundation stone for today's significantly larger building was laid.
We first leave Strauch towards the Michelshof wind farm, which now covers a large part of the energy needs of the Simmerath community with renewable energies. After passing through Michelsbach and Hesselbach, two lively streams typical of the Eifel region, the path runs along the edge of the forest for several kilometers until the Rursee comes into view and offers us a beautiful view of the Woffelsbacher Bay. On the other side of the Rursee shore, the ridge "Kermeter" can also be seen. It is located 527.8 meters above sea level and forms the "ecological heart" of the Eifel National Park, the only national park in North Rhine-Westphalia. On the ridge between the Rursee and Urftsee, native beech forests cover a large area, forming one of the largest continuous deciduous forest areas in the Rhineland, with about 33 km².
Further along the way, after a few kilometers, we reach the Eifelblick Kierberg, which is 455 meters above sea level. From here, the view reaches far over the Rursee in an easterly direction towards the Eifel National Park. Finally, we return along the edge of the forest to Strauch, the starting point of our hike.

Highlights along the way:
St. Matthias Church
Michelshof wind farm
Rursee panorama