Reitwerk, Pre-industrial iron production site in Eifel, Germany.
The Reitwerk is a medieval iron processing site in the Eifel region that combines smelting furnaces, forging workshops, and various processing spaces. The facility uses water power through channels and wheels to operate the heavy machinery and tools.
The site developed during the Middle Ages and remained an important production center for regional metalworking for centuries. With industrialization, large-scale production shifted elsewhere, and this location lost its economic importance.
The name refers to the wheel-makers and metalworkers who practiced their craft here across generations. Visitors can still identify the specialized workshops that show how metal production was once organized.
The location sits in a forested area with good water access that makes the grounds navigable. The preservation of structures allows visitors to understand how the different work areas were built and functioned.
The system operated with a sophisticated wheel and channel network that directed water over long distances. This early water power system was remarkably advanced for the region and allowed multiple machines to run simultaneously.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
