Kermeter

Kermeter
Eifel, u. a. with Kermeter (half center left top)
View from the southwest end of the Urft dam to the Kermeter; in the foreground the Obersee (pre -dam of the Rurtalsperre ) with the dam overflow of the Urfttalsperre on the right
Highest peak	nameless hilltop? near Wolfgarten ( 527.8  m above sea  level )
location	City region Aachen , districts Düren and Euskirchen , North Rhine-Westphalia ( Germany )
part of	Eifel
Coordinates	50 ° 35 ′  N , 6 ° 30 ′  E Coordinates: 50 ° 35 ′  N , 6 ° 30 ′  E

The Kermeter (also called The Kermeter ) is up to 527.8  m above sea level. NHN high and 35.92  km² large part of the Rureifel in the city ​​region of Aachen and the districts of Düren and Euskirchen in the southwestern part of North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany .

The Kermeter ridge is covered by a forest area of ​​around 33 km², which is one of the largest closed deciduous forest areas in the Rhineland . Since January 1st, 2004 it has been the core area of ​​the Eifel National Park .

geography

location

The Kermeter lies in the area of ​​the three Eifel communities Heimbach , Simmerath and Schleiden . The ridge is bounded in the north and west by the Rurstausee (around 281.5  m ) and thus by the Rur valley near Heimbach , in the southwest by the Obersee (around 281.5  m ; pre-barrier of the Rurtalsperre), and in the south by the Urftstausee (around 322, 5  m ) and thus from the Urft valley. In the southeast, the Kermeter runs from the Rotbach via Wolfgarten and Gemünd in the direction of the Oberlauftal .

The highest mountain in Kermeter is a nameless hill ( 527.8  m ) at Wolf Garten (a list of other Kermeter Mountains is located below ) on which to 2017 the fire watch - and lookout tower Feuerwachturm Wolfgarten stood.

Natural allocation

The majority of the Kermeter including its high elevations belongs to the natural spatial main unit group Westeifel / Ardennen (No. 28) and in the main unit Rureifel (282) to the subunit Kermeter Forest (282.8). The eastern part of the southern roofing is part of the Gemünder Urft and Olef valleys (282.31), the western part of the southern roofing and the Urftstausee are part of the Urftsee natural area (282.32), the southern part of the western roofing, the Obersee and the southwestern part of the Rurstausee are part of the Rursee natural area (282.30). The northern part of the western and western part of the northern roofing, the northeastern part of the Rur reservoir and the western part of the Heimbach dam belong to the Rursee natural area (282.33) and the eastern part of the northern roof and the eastern part of the Heimbach dam belong to the Heimbach-Maubacher Rurtal natural area (282.34). To the east the landscape falls into the sub-unit Vlattener Hügelland (275.1), which belongs to the main unit group Eastern Eifel (No. 27) to the main unit Mechernicher Voreifel (275).

mountains

The mountains, elevations and slope spurs of the Kermeter include - sorted by height in meters (m) above sea ​​level (MSL; unless otherwise specified according to):

• nameless hilltop? near Wolfgarten ( 527.8  m ), Euskirchen district; highest mountain in the Kermeter; until 2017 with observation and fire watchtower Wolfgarten
• Hellberg ( 525.8  m ), Euskirchen district
• Venison hill ( 525.3  m ), Euskirchen; good prospect of the Rurstausee
• Theissenberg ( 522.4  m ), Euskirchen district
• Burned mountain ( 516.2  m ), Euskirchen district; with jungle burned mountain
• Winterberg (Wolfgarten) ( 503.4  m ), Euskirchen district; with a Kermeter tunnel under the western mountain flank
• Mauelter Berg ( 502.4  m ), Euskirchen district; with damp watchtower (incl. transmitter) and hunting lodge
• Honigberg ( 495.4  m ), Düren district
• Swiss mountains , Euskirchen district; Slate formation on the southeastern foothills of the Urftsee (max. 482.2  m )
• Böttenbachsberg ( 466.6  m ), Euskirchen district
• Weidenauer Berg ( 453.3  m ), Düren district
• Adamsberg ( 443.8  m )
• Altenberg (approx. 424  m ), Düren district; with nearby Mariawald Abbey
• Griesberg ( 421.3  m ), Düren district; with nearby Mariawald Abbey
• Winterberg (Heimbach) ( 404.8  m ), Düren district
• Hohenberg ( 363.7  m ), Düren district
• Tonsberg ( 333.3  m ), Düren district; with deserted castle (cultural monument)

Waters

The Kermeter is very rich in water . In addition to some ponds and ponds, there are numerous flowing and still waters (sorted alphabetically):

Flowing waters

The running waters of the Kermeter include with length in kilometers (km):

• Arnsbach (2.1 km); Urft- or Urftstausee inflow, rises south of Haus Kermeter
• Bergerbach (4.3 km); Eselsbach tributary, rises east of Wolfgarten, flows into Bergbuir
• Billerbach (1.4 km); Heimbach tributary, rises west of Gut Weinert
• Büdenbach (1.1 km); Rur or Rurstausee tributary, rises north-northeast from the Paulushof car park
• Gloomy Büdenbach (1.3 km); Büdenbach tributary, rises north-northwest of the Paulushof car park
• Eschbach (1 km); Rur or Rurstausee tributary, rises north of the venison hill
• Eselsbach (3.8 km); Rotbach tributary, rises east of Wolfgarten, flows into Glehn
• Friedenbach (1.1 km); Urft or Obersee tributary, rises west of the venison hill
• Great Arnsbach (1.4 km); Heimbach tributary, rises southwest of Gut Weinert
• Großer Böttenbach (2.9 km); Urft- or Urftstausee tributary, rises north of Wolfgarten
• Großer Scheuerbach (1.1 km); Urft tributary, rises south of Wolfgarten, flows into Gemünd
• Haftenbach (0.6 km); Urft- or Urftstausee tributary, rises east of the venison hill
• Heimbach (5.8 km); Rur tributary, rises north-northeast of Wolfgarten, flows into Heimbach
• Herbstbach (2.2 km); Rur or reservoir Heimbach tributary, rises north-northwest of the house Kermeter , flows into Steinbach
• Hohenbach (2.1 km); Rur or Rurstausee tributary, rises east of the venison hill
• Hohenbach (0.6 km); Urft- or Urftstausee inflow, rises between Burned Mountain and Hellberg
• Kleiner Böttenbach (1.5 km); Large Böttenbach tributary, rises southwest of Wolfgarten
• Kleiner Steinbach (0.8 km); Steinbach tributary, rises northwest of the house Kermeter
• Lompig (1.1 km); Urft tributary, rises southwest of Wolfgarten, flows into Gemünd -Malsbenden
• Lorbach (3 km); Urft- or Urftstausee tributary, rises south-southwest of Wolfgarten
• Rotbach (39.1 km); Erft tributary, flows east past the Kermeter, flows out at Dirmerzheim
• Rur (164.5 km), Maas tributary, flows west and north past the Kermeter, flows into Roermond
• Seelbach (0.9 km); Urft tributary, rises west of the Mauelter Berg, flows into Mauel
• Steinbach (1.9 km); Rur or reservoir Heimbach tributary, rises northwest of Haus Kermeter , flows into Steinbach
• Urft (46.3 km); Rur tributary, flows south past the Kermeter, flows east of Rurberg
• Vlattener Bach (21.8 km); Rotbach tributary, rises east-southeast of Wolfgarten, flows into Lövenich
• Welmsbach (1.1 km), tributary of the Rur, rises north of Mariawald Abbey , flows below Steinbach

Still waters

Still waters at the Kermeter with - if known - area in square kilometers (km²):

• Eiserbach reservoir (0.03 km²), pre-basin of the Rur reservoir on the Eiserbach , west-southwest of the Kermeter
• Heimbach reservoir (0.364 km²), compensation or reservoir of the Rur and Urft reservoirs on the Rur, north of the Kermeter
• Obersee , pre-basin of the Rur reservoir on the Rur, southwest of the Kermeter
• Rurstausee (7.83 km²), reservoir on the Rur, west and northwest of the Kermeter
• Urftstausee (2.3 square kilometers), Reservoir at the Urft, south of the Kermeter

history

On the Tonsberg , which rises on a peninsula of the Rur reservoir as part of the north roof of the Kermeter (near Schwammenauel), an entry appears on older Eifel Club maps as Roman fortifications ; however, an ancient origin has not yet been proven. The function of the former buildings, also known as deserted buildings, which may only date from the Middle Ages , is unclear.

Landscape, nature, protected areas

Path through thick beech forest

Kermeter south slope with oak forest and slate rock

About 33 km² of the Kermeter are closed forest area of ​​the Kermeter high forest . On the shady, moist northern slopes, beech forests dominate (24%) with specimens that are over 200 years old in places. On sunny, dry southern slopes, oak forests are predominant (26%), broken up by rock heather. Almost half of the forest area is still occupied by spruce at the beginning of the 21st century as a result of reforestation measures after the Second World War . However, there are long-term plans to reduce the spruce population in favor of the deciduous forests.

Even before the establishment of the national park, the Hohes Venn-Eifel nature park left some areas of the high forest to their own devices: trees that are ripe for cutting are left standing ( old wood ) ; Fallen trees and broken branches are not removed ( dead wood ) . This strategy is being systematically continued by the national park administration, and large areas of the Kermeter are to be returned to a primeval forest- like condition over the next generations . Dead wood provides habitats for mosses, lichens, fungi and over 2000 insect species. These in turn serve tree creepers , nuthatches , black kites , great spotted woodpeckers and the rare middle woodpeckers as a food source.

Rare larger animal species such as wild cats and eagle owls also appear in the Kermeter. Large animals such as red deer , roe deer , wild boar and mouflon , on the other hand, pose a problem because they lack predators . They delay or prevent the natural vegetation due to their large browsing . The national park administration therefore hunts these hoofed game in the Kermeter during a shortened season from October to December .

Forest clearings and brook banks are accompanied by tall herbaceous meadows and whistle grass meadows .

The nature reserve (NSG) Kermeter ( EU ) ( CDDA -Nr. 318644; designated 1994; 12.6735 km²) is located on the southeast to southern part of the Kermeter , to which the eastern, north and western parts of the landscape are located to the north located NSG Kermeter (CDDA No. 164057; 1997; 13.46 km²) connects; in the northeast lies the Heimbachtal NSG (CDDA no. 163605; 1985; 37.78  ha ). Landscape protection areas on or in the Kermeter are: LSG Schleiden (CDDA no. 555558812; 2004; 45.9516 km²), LSG Urftaue and grassland area near Gemünd-Malsbenden (CDDA no. 555558823; 2004; 13.63 ha) , LSG Rur and Obersee with shore (CDDA no. 555558720; 2004; 3.7026 km²), LSG Rurtalsperre (CDDA no. 555558715; 2010; 3.3161 km²), LSG Rurtal and side slopes between Blens and Hasenfeld (CDDA No. 555558713; 2010; 6.0212 km²) and LSG Hausener Busch and Hergartener Wald (CDDA No. 555558714; 2010; 8.4988 km²). Parts of the Fauna-Flora-Habitat- Area Kermeter (FFH-Nr. 5404-301; 35.8862 km²) and the EU bird sanctuary Kermeter-Hetzinger Wald (VSG-Nr. 5304-402; 47.7115 ) are located on the entire ridge km²).

Infrastructure

View from the Hirschley viewpoint over the Rurstausee

Wild way in the barrier-free nature experience area Wilder Kermeter

Forest clearing at the Paulushof rest area

From Heimbach, the state road  249 leads south in serpentines upwards over the former Mariawald Abbey to the Kermeterhöhe (approx. 5 km) and down again via Wolfgarten to Gemünd (approx. 9 km). About 2 km north-west of Wolfgarten, the L 15 (Kermeter high road ) branches off from the L 249 to the north-west and leads across the Kermeter high forest down to the dam of the Rurtalsperre.

The western part of the Kermeter is only accessible by bike and can be accessed via hiking trails. The northern slope down to the bays of the Rurstausees was mapped by the Eifelverein as early as the 1960s and provided with hiking trails, rest areas (Kermeter ; formerly Paulushof) , an educational forest trail , lookout points (e.g. Hirschley refuge ; about 475  m ) and geological explanations from Slate and greywacke formations from the Devonian were developed.

In May 2011, the barrier-free nature experience area Wilder Kermeter was opened on the L 15 at the Kermeter hikers' car park . The Heimbach, Wilder Kermeter (formerly Schleiden, Kermeter Höhe ) bus stop , which is suitable for disabled people, was built next to the car park . It is served by the AVV bus line 231 and from May to October on the weekends also from the Mäxchen. The 4.7 km network of paths between the car park and the Hirschley lookout point has been retrofitted with a guidance system and information boards. The maximum gradient is 6%, benches have been set up every 250 m, and so-called sensory loungers invite you to linger. For the 10th anniversary of the Eifel National Park, the approximately 1.5 km long Wilde Weg was opened in June 2014 . A 250 m long wooden walkway leads from the parking lot via various information stations to a forest path. At 10 interactive stations, visitors of all ages can find out more about the wilderness, forest development and the diversity of flora and fauna.

Obersee with jetty Urftsee dam with Kermeter in the background

By the Rurstausee preferred dock Kermeterufer the Rursee-shipping the Kermeter with is Rurberg , Woffelsbach and the dam Schwammenauel connected. From the pier in Rurberg am Obersee you can take the electric boats Eifel , St.Nikolaus and Seensucht along the foot of the Kermeter to the Urfttalsperre or to Einruhr .

From 1950 to January 1, 2006 the southern slope of the Kermeter lay on the terrain of the Vogelsang military training area ; the hiking trails down to the Urftstausee were only open on weekends and public holidays and the southern foothills above the Urftsee were completely closed to civilians.

At the end of 2005, the military use of Camp Vogelsang ended , the barracks and the military training area were cleared by the Belgian military administration . After the withdrawal, the national park administration rebuilt the infrastructure in the previously inaccessible areas. Of the four hiking parking lots

• Lorbachsgarten at the junction of the L 15,
• House Kermeter (former forest service farm from 1845, today a holiday home; 511.5  m ),
• Old beeches (in the area of Burned Mountain ) and
• Kermeter (formerly Paulushof , 491.2  m )

The cycling and hiking routes to the Urft barrier wall, along the Urftsee and over the Victor Neels Bridge (built in October 2009) to Vogelsang Castle are newly laid out and signposted.

The dam can be walked on. There is an excursion restaurant by the wall, but it cannot be reached by car. However, it is possible to use the AVV bus line 231 from Gemünd or Heimbach to reach the Urfttalsperre / Haftenbach stop. From there it is a 800 m walk to the dam. In the summer months, the Heimbacher Bürgerbus also runs directly from the Kermeter hiker's car park to the excursion restaurant on weekends . In addition, the serviced Rursee shipping the pier Urftsee dam .

The Kermeter tunnel (built in 1905) conducts water from the Urftstausee over a length of around 2.7 km underground across the Kermeter to the Heimbach an der Rur power plant .

Worth seeing

Play media file

Video: Charcoal burning in the Kermeter - Part 1 Construction of a coal kiln

The sights of the Kermeter include:

• The former Mariawald Abbey (in the area of ​​the Altenberg and Griesberg mountains) was the only male Trappist monastery in Germany.
• 414 fallen soldiers from the Second World War are buried in the Mariawald military cemetery with a memorial, which was laid out in 1953 .
• From the Middle Ages to the middle of the 20th century, over 1000 coal piles can be detected on the Kermeter  . Today only flat, semicircular areas are recognizable, which, if you dig under the leaves, reveal black charcoal residues. This charcoal was used in connection with iron smelting in the Schleidener area. The last charcoal burner operated in Kermeter, owned by the Stollenwerk family in Schmidt , ceased operations in 1969. A reconstructed coal pile with explanations about the work of the charcoal burners can be seen in the permanent exhibition of the Gemünd National Park .

References and comments

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Topographical Information Management, Cologne District Government, Department GEObasis NRW ( information )
2. ↑ ^{a b} Wolfgarten - Topographical Map 1: 2000. In: TIM-online (Topographical Information Management). District government of Cologne , accessed on April 15, 2016 .  
3. ^ Ewald Glässer: Geographical land survey: The natural space units on sheet 122/123 Cologne / Aachen. Federal Institute for Regional Studies, Bad Godesberg 1978. →  Online map (PDF; 8.7 MB)
4. ↑ ^{a b c} Map services of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation ( information )
5. ↑ ^{a b} Berghöhe - various mountains according to an unknown / not researched source
6. ^ "Kermeter" nature reserve (EU-041) in the specialist information system of the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection in North Rhine-Westphalia , accessed on March 3, 2017.
7. ↑ "Kermeter" nature reserve (DN-041) in the specialist information system of the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection of North Rhine-Westphalia , accessed on March 3, 2017.
8. ^ "Heimbachtal" nature reserve (DN-027) in the specialist information system of the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection in North Rhine-Westphalia , accessed on March 3, 2017.
9. ↑ First barrier-free hiking trail in the national park. In: Aachener Nachrichten . Aachener Zeitungsverlag , May 5, 2011, accessed on May 20, 2015 .  
10. ↑ ^{a b} bus line 231: Düren - Stockheim - Heimbach - Gemünd - Schleiden. (PDF file; 60.4 kB) In: AVV route timetables. Regional traffic Euregio Meuse-Rhine , December 14, 2014, accessed on May 20, 2015 .  
11. ↑ Mäxchen bus route: Heimbach - Mariawald / Schmidt, Wildpark - Schwammenauel. (PDF file; 58.4 kB) In: AVV line timetables. Düren Kreisbahn , May 1, 2015, accessed on May 20, 2015 .  
12. ↑ Barrier-free nature experience area Wilder Kermeter. In: Eifel barrier-free. Naturpark Nordeifel eV, accessed on May 20, 2015 .  
13. ↑ NRW Environment Minister opens a barrier-free path in the Kermeter. In: Aachener Nachrichten . Aachener Zeitungsverlag , June 27, 2014, accessed on May 20, 2015 .  
14. ↑ ^{a b} Rursee shipping. Rursee-Schifffahrt KG, accessed on May 20, 2015 .  
15. ↑ One less idyll in the Eifel - coal piles no longer smoke in Kermeter . In: Die Eifel, magazine of the Eifelverein . Issue 1 January / February 1970, Verlagspostamt, Bonn.

Web links

Commons : Kermeter  - Collection of Images

literature

• F. Köhler: Beetle fauna in natural forest cells and commercial forest. Comparative studies in the Kermeter forest reserve in the northern Eifel. LÖBF / LAfAO NRW series of publications, Vol. 6, Recklinghausen.
• Maria Pfeifer: Eifel National Park, Theme Tours Vol. 4: By bike through the Eifel National Park. 1st edition. J. P. Bachem Verlag, 2008, ISBN 978-3-7616-2179-0 .
• Maria Pfeifer: The Wilderness Trail in the Eifel National Park, Themed Tours Vol. 3: Four daily stages between 18 and 25 km. 1st edition. J. P. Bachem Verlag, 2007, ISBN 978-3-7616-2154-7 .
• Maria Pfeifer: Short hikes in the Eifel National Park, themed tours vol. 2: 12 easy tours between 2 and 7 km. 2nd Edition. J. P. Bachem Verlag, 2007, ISBN 978-3-7616-2010-6 .
• Maria Pfeifer et al .: Eifel National Park, Themed Tours Vol. 1: 10 tours between 5 and 18 km. 4th completely revised edition. J. P. Bachem Verlag, 2007, ISBN 978-3-7616-2068-7 .
• NRW Foundation / Eifelverein: Eifel National Park, Themed Tours Vol. 1: 10 tours between 5 and 18 km. 4th completely revised edition. J. P. Bachem Verlag, 2007, ISBN 978-3-7616-2068-7 .
• Autumn in the beech forest. Kölner Stadtanzeiger from October 29, 2002.
• Eifelverein e. V. (Ed.): National park map , hiking map no.50 of the Eifelverein, scale 1: 25,000, Verlag des Eifelverein 2007, ISBN 978-3-921805-51-0 .