Municipality of Hellenthal
Hellenthal near the Nationalpark Eifel, tradition and progress are harmoniously side by side: castles and churches, charming scenery, and modern industry make the community lovable and worth living in. The municipality covers an area of around 138 square meters and no less than 61 villages and hamlets. Overall, the municipality has about 8,500 residents.
The industry in the valleys of Hellenthal and Blumenthal with about 1,500 jobs is the economic foundation of the community. The companies are on the grounds of the world-famous Eifel industry, which existed up to the middle 19th century.
The diversity of the landscape makes Hellenthal attractive for a stay. Scenically located in the expanse of the Hellenthal forest, Lake Olef lies like an oasis of peace, ideal for hiking and cycling. The most widely known Hellenthal Wildfreigehege is located above the lake. The flowering wild narcissi may be fascinating. It is close by at the White Rock, which is the highest point of the Rhineland and is a weather station with an exhibition. The air at this location is one of the cleanest in Germany. A special panoramic view can be experienced from the 30-meter high observation tower. Winter sports are also possible here a ski- and snow-sled lift and specially prepared cross-country trails are available.
Reifferscheid and Wildenburg are two typical castle settlements. The castle ruins of Reifferscheid, with their historic center, dates back to the 11th century with its oldest buildings. The Wildenburg, the only remaining hilltop castle in the district of Euskirchen, dates back to the 12th century and is used as a meeting, recreational and educational center today.
Visitors to the “Grube Wohlfahrt” (visitors’ mine) are transported even further into the earth‘s past and will experience the fascinating world of an old ore mine.
Annually tens of thousands of tourists visit the Ardennes Culture Boulevard which is located 20 km south of Hellenthal, directly on the German-Belgian border. The ArsKRIPPANA, one of the most important nativity scenes exhibitions in Europe, the ArsTECNICA, one of the first digital model railway systems in Europe with over 2,000 m tracks and over 100 trains and ArsFIGURA with original living rooms and grocery store, historical, artistic and mechanical figure collections from imperial times, puts visitors under its spell. Other exhibitions are the ArsArdenn and ARSMineralis.
Information about the National Park community of Hellenthal and the northern Eifel region are available at the Tourist-Info at the Town Hall in Hellenthal. Ideal starting and finishing points for hiking and cycling are the cycle and hike train stations Hellenthal and Blumenthal.