The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Schalkenmehrener Maar

Information on the Mürmes nature reserve can be found at NABU: https://www.nabu-daun.de/wir-sichern-fl%C3%A4chen/nsg-m%C3%BCrmes/ or at: https://ellscheid-vulkaneifel.de/408/tourismus/muermes

at this point now well hidden behind trees

The Daun Maars - 10,000-Year-Old Volcanic Lakes The Daun Maars were formed around 10,000 years ago from volcanic steam explosions. Hot lava rises from the Earth's interior and encounters water, which suddenly evaporates. This blasts away entire mountain peaks. What remains is a deep crater that fills with water over the years and a wall of boulders surrounding the lake. The Daun Maars include the Gemünden Maar, the Weinfelder Maar, and the Schalkenmehrener Doppelmaar. One crater of the Schalkenmehrener Maar has silted up over the millennia. The area is a nature reserve and a refuge for waterfowl and rare dragonfly species. Text / Source: deutschland-outdoor.der https://deutschland-outdoor.de/eifel/dauner-maare

Weinfelder Maar The Weinfelder Maar, formed by volcanic activity around 20,000 to 30,000 years ago, is the highest of the three Dauner Maars at 487 meters above sea level. The lake is 51 meters deep and has a diameter of 396 to 429 meters. An almost melancholic atmosphere surrounds the maar. Many legends surround the quiet Eifel eye. A castle is said to have once stood on the site of the crater, where a count lived with his wife and only child. After returning home from a hunt, the castle had sunk as punishment for the woman's nastiness, and he found only a lake where a cradle miraculously floated his child safely to the shore. If you look at the dark surface of the water long enough, it is said that you can make out the outline of the castle. The German landscape painter Fritz von Wille was so fascinated by the Weinfelder Maar that he repeatedly immortalized it in his paintings. Among his favorite motifs was the small chapel on the north bank, dedicated to Saint Martin. It was once the parish church of the village of Weinfeld, which was struck by the plague in the 16th century. Anyone who makes the bells inside ring by pulling the ropes can make a wish. To this day, the associated cemetery is maintained and used by the local community of Schalkenmehren. This is where its second name, Totenmaar, comes from. Donkeys and goats have been introduced to the Weinfelder Maar to regulate vegetation. The maar's unique flora and fauna are protected. Swimming and other water sports are prohibited in the Weinfelder Maar, but a nearly two-kilometer-long path makes it a wonderful place to explore on foot. Parking: Visitors can park along the L64 either in the parking lot at the Weinfelder Maar or on the Maarsattel between the Weinfelder Maar and the Schalkenmehrener Maar. Text / Source: GesundLand Vulkaneifel GmbH, Leopoldstr. 9 A, 54550 Daun https://www.eifel.info/a-weinfelder-maar

The Sangweiher is an old maar lake and, thanks to extensive restoration measures, has become a lovely stop on your hike. This nature and bird sanctuary offers a habitat for flora and fauna, where you are welcome to be a guest.

From the church without a village, you have a wonderful view.

The lake in the western part of the maar varies in diameter between 500 and 575 meters and is up to 21 meters deep. The Schalkenmehren Maar is the largest of the three Dauner Eifel Augen (Eifel Eyes). Here, you can not only take in the nature and fresh air while hiking, but also cool off in the maar after a strenuous hike. Very beautiful hiking trails around the lake and a wealth of nature. Fantastic.

On the southwest bank of the Schalkenmehrener Maar there is a jetty that leads out onto the water. A lovely photo opportunity.