Hümerich Round

ON THE WAY ACROSS THREE VOLCANOES

The Wachtberg was once a fire-breathing mountain. Like the neighboring volcanoes Stumpeberg, Hohenberg, and Dächelsberg, it formed about 25 million years ago. To this day, only the "hard core" of these volcanoes made of the rocks trachyte or basalt remains as the so-called hardened dome. Both types of rock were also quarried here. The 258 meter high Wachtberg has been the namesake of the municipality of Wachtberg with its 16 villages since 1969 as the central point. Its elevated water reservoir supplies the surrounding area with drinking water. The Wachtberg is the starting point for a walk across the three volcanoes around Berkum.

THE HÜMERICH ROUND

The approximately 6 km long circular path first leads up to the memorial at the Wachtberg with its fantastic panoramic view. Through woods and fields, it passes the mysterious "sphere" that has found secure footing on the Hümerich, then to the Hohenberg with the famous cathedral quarry that once enabled the continuation of the Cologne Cathedral's construction. Finally, the Stumpeberg offers a view into its volcanic vent and a wonderful outlook over the Rhenish volcanic landscape. Along the way through Berkum, local volcanic rock appears in many forms—from the grave cross to the path edge in the show garden to the well-preserved water castle Odenhausen. More information about the route is available under Tour Tips.