by Romantik®

Michels Wohlfühlhotel

The Michels makes it easy to explore the Vulkaneifel on two wheels. Guests can hire the hotel's own bicycles for a fee for day trips – from classic adult bikes to e-bikes and mountain e-bikes for more demanding routes. The nearby cycle paths, such as the Maare-Mosel Cycle Route or the Kosmoradweg Kleine Kyll, lead directly through the green landscape around Schalkenmehren, past maars, forests and small villages. The hotel reception is happy to take reservations, and after a long tour, the bikes can be easily cleaned at the designated water hose. This makes every bike tour an unforgettable experience in the Eifel.

The three maars around Schalkenmehren – Schalkenmehrener, Weinfelder and Gemündener Maar – form one of the most impressive landscapes in the Vulkaneifel. A hiking trail connects them all: quiet forest paths, idyllic riverside trails, small hills and beautiful views of the deep blue ‘eyes of the Vulkaneifel’. Along the way, you will encounter the historic Maarkreuz, the Weinfelder Chapel and a small refreshment stop at the Gemündener Maar. If you want to go higher, climb a little way up the Eifelsteig and enjoy a panorama from the Dronketurm tower that shows the volcanic landscape in all its vastness. History is omnipresent here – especially at the Manderscheid castles along the Lieserpfad trail. And again and again, the Dreese, natural mineral springs whose refreshing healing water comes directly from the depths of the volcanoes, bubble up at the side of the path.

The three maars around Schalkenmehren – Schalkenmehrener Maar, Weinfelder Maar and Gemündener Maar – lie like three deep blue crater eyes in the landscape and characterise the natural feel of the entire region. Swimming is permitted in most of the maars, except in the Weinfelder Maar, and, for example, in the Schalkenmehrener Maar natural outdoor pool, where sunbathing lawns and non-motorised pedal boats ensure relaxed summer enjoyment. On many shores, nature is left to its own devices, strictly protected, quiet and impressively unspoilt. Especially on sunny days, the water glitters like a mirror of the Vulkaneifel, making every moment at the maar a special experience: clear, fresh and clean.

Guests staying at Michels Wohlfühlhotel have two exceptional golf courses right on their doorstep: the Golf-Club Eifel in Hillesheim is located in a landscape that seems tailor-made for the game. Gentle hills, forests with mature trees, ponds and wide fields form a course that scores highly with its absolute tranquillity and authentic natural surroundings. The 70-hectare course offers varied fairways and excellent training facilities. After your round, the country-style clubhouse is the perfect place to take a break and enjoy the view of the Eifel. The Golfclub Südeifel is completely different, but just as beautiful: a 9-hole course with sweeping views of the Bitburger brewery and the tranquil surrounding countryside. Perfect for beginners, but also challenging enough for experienced players. Afterwards, the clubhouse's large sun terrace awaits. 

The Vulkaneifel is a fascinating geological treasure trove and has been a UNESCO Global Geopark since 2015. If you want to experience the earth here with all your senses, you will find numerous museums, trails and natural spectacles right on your doorstep. At the Strohn Volcano House, volcanism can be experienced interactively. The 6-metre-high lava column wall, the Strohn ‘lava bomb’ weighing almost 120 tonnes and the 4.4-kilometre-long volcano adventure trail show in a playful way how the Eifel volcanoes were formed. The Eifel Volcano Museum in Daun explains the volcanic history of the region and the world using original rocks, fossils and three-dimensional landscape models. Here, visitors can experience cinder cones, maars and mineral springs up close. In the Maar Museum in Manderscheid, visitors can embark on a journey through the tropical past of the Eifel. The highlight is a large model of a maar that can be walked through, with audiovisual presentations, supplemented by discoveries such as the ‘Eckfelder Urpferdchen’ (Eckfeld primitive horse) and the oldest honey bee in the world. Other natural wonders include the Wallende Born, a cold water geyser that shoots a fountain up to four metres high every 30 minutes, as well as the Dreese of the Vulkaneifel and bubbling mineral springs such as the Hotzendrees in Daun.

Myth, engines and up close: just around 25 minutes from Michels Wohlfühlhotel is the legendary Nürburgring, one of the most famous race tracks in the world. Whether Formula events, GT races, track days or the legendary tourist drives on the Nordschleife: here, motorsport pulsates in all its facets. Visitors can take a look behind the scenes, discover museums and worlds of experience, or race around the track themselves in a race taxi. A wonderful day trip that combines adrenaline and history.