Eifel National Park, National park in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Eifel National Park covers about 10,700 hectares between Nideggen, Gemünd and the Belgian border, including the Urft Reservoir and the former Vogelsang military training area. Its core is the Kermeter ridge, a beech forest enclosed by the Rur and Urft reservoirs, where dense green slopes drop to dark water and a narrow shore road. Around 240 kilometres of marked paths cross the woods and open grassland.
The area became a national park in 2004, making it Germany's 14th protected park of this kind. Since its establishment, at least 75 percent of the land must remain in a wild state.
The park's name comes from the Eifel hills, and its woods were largely cleared by the early 19th century for charcoal burning. Prussian foresters then planted spruce across the slopes, a tree that still dominates parts of the Kermeter ridge. On the Dreiborn Plateau, knee-height posts with coloured bands mark the routes, a legacy of the former Belgian military training area.
The network of over 200 kilometers of trails has four entry points and allows walking, cycling, and horseback riding. The best conditions for visiting are during the warmer months when paths are dry and easy to navigate.
The park holds the International Dark Sky designation, which means visitors can observe stars on clear nights without artificial light pollution. This makes it a rare spot in Western Europe where genuine darkness and stargazing are possible.
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