National Park Gates
The National Park Gates are the best places to start your visit to the National Park. They are information centres, integrating tourist information and various exhibitions on themes to do with the National Park. Digital models of the area will give you an initial overview, and the National Park film will put you in the mood for your visit. The staff at the National Park Gates look forward to giving you all sorts of tips for hikes and events.
The National Park Gates are entrances to the National Park, to be found on all sides of the protected area:
In other villages around the National Park you will also find information points, albeit slightly smaller and without exhibitions, etc. Here you can read about these so-called National Park Information Points.
You will see where the individual information points are "at a glance" in the leaflet of the same name.
Complementing the National Park Gates and Information Points, there should be an information centre for the Eifel National Park in Vogelsang by 2012. At the moment there is only an information point here. Read more here about the current planning status of the planned information centre.
The National Park Gate in Simmerath-Rurberg
"Arteries of Nature"
...is the main theme of the exhibition at the National Park Gate in Rurberg. Guests follow animal tracks through the fascinating natural and cultural history of the Eifel, or experience rivers, streams, ponds and lakes from the perspective of a kite. Fascinating insights are given into the lives of crayfish, freshwater pearl mussels and beavers, underlining the importance of national parks.
Standard facilities at the National Park Gate in Rurberg
- Tourist Information Centre
- Exhibition on "Arteries of Nature"
- A digital model of the area
- National Park films
Barrier-free accessibility
- Easily accessible, without steps, and can be experienced by everyone
- Fully accessible toilet facilities
- Films are partially subtitled and translated into (German) sign language
- The Eifel National Park Administration is happy to organise tours through the exhibition in (German) sign language.
Free guided tours taking you into the forests of the Kermeter hills
Every Saturday at 11 a.m.: Rurberg ranger rendezvous
Admission is free; open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How to get to the National Park Gate in Rurberg...
National Park Gate Rurberg (am Eiserbachdamm)
Seeufer 3, 52152 Simmerath-Rurberg
Tel.: +49 (0)2473. 93770, Fax: +49 (0)2473. 937720
National Park Gate in Schleiden-Gemünd
"Gnarled oaks, brightly coloured woodpeckers and the thrilling history and tales of the forest"
...are what you will experience in the exhibition at the National Park Gate in Gemünd. The emphasis is on the oak forests adjacent to the National Park Gate, and their special flora and fauna. A walk-in old charcoal kiln brings one historical use of the forest to life. You will get an initial impression of the area around the Gate from the Kreuzberg Eifel viewing point.
Standard facilities at the National Park Gate in Gemünd
- Tourist Information Centre
- Exhibition on "Gnarled oaks, brightly coloured woodpeckers and the thrilling history and tales of the forest"
- A digital model of the area
- National Park films
Barrier-free accessibility
- Easily accessible, without steps, and can be experienced by everyone (just one section of the environmental education programme for children is separated off by three steps)
- Fully accessible toilet facilities
- Films are partially subtitled and translated into (German) sign language
- The Eifel National Park Administration is happy to organise tours through the exhibition in (German) sign language.
Free guided tours taking you into the forests of the Kermeter hills
Every Saturday at 11 a.m.: Gemünd ranger rendezvous
Admission is free; open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How to get to the National Park Gate in Gemünd...
National Park Gate Gemünd
Kurhausstraße 6, 53937 Schleiden-Gemünd
Tel.: +49 (0)2444-2011, Fax: +49 (0)2444-1641
National Park Gate in Heimbach
Secrets of the forest
...are revealed by the exhibition at the National Park Gate in Heimbach. A walk-in audio exhibit leads visitors through a forest labyrinth. As they go, the wild cat (being the thematic focus of the establishment) chats with a black stork about its experiences in the National Park. You will get a first impression of Heimbach by taking a view from the Burg Hengebach Eifel viewing point.
Standard facilities at the National Park Gate in Heimbach
- Tourist Information Centre
- Exhibition on "Secrets of the forest"
- A digital model of the area
- National Park films
Barrier-free accessibility
- Easily accessible, without steps, and can be experienced by everyone
- Fully accessible toilet facilities
- Films are partially subtitled and translated into (German) sign language
- Texts are also available in braille
- Many tactile elements
- Layout of exhibits facilitates navigation with the white stick.
- The Eifel National Park Administration is happy to organise tours through the exhibition in (German) sign language.
Free guided tours taking you into the Kermeter and Hetzinger forests
- Every Friday at 11.15 a.m.: "Monastery route" ranger tour
- On Sundays and public holidays in summer at 11.15 a.m.: National Park rendezvous in Heimbach
- Takes place intermittently; starts at 10.45 a.m.: National Park rendezvous in Heimbach-Zerkall
Admission is free; open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How to get to the National Park Gate in Heimbach...
National Park Gate Heimbach
An der Laag 4, 52396 Heimbach
Tel.: +49 (0)2446-8057914, Fax: +49 (0)2446-8057916
National Park Gate in Monschau-Höfen
"A blaze of yellow daffodils and changing forests"
...is the title of the exhibition at the National Park Gate in Höfen. Huge images of wild daffodils ensure a very special atmosphere. In spring the daffodils can be experienced in their thousands near the Gate. The surrounding conifers from the days of commercial forestry here are gradually giving way to a natural, mixed deciduous forest. Visitors can experience the exhibition with all their senses at stations at which you can hear, smell and feel things.
Standard facilities at the National Park Gate in Höfen
- Tourist Information Centre
- Exhibition on "A blaze of yellow daffodils and changing forests"
- A digital model of the area
- National Park films
- Multi-lingualism: all texts can be heard in English, German, Dutch and French.
Barrier-free accessibility
- Easily accessible, without steps, and can be experienced by everyone
- Fully accessible toilet facilities
- Acoustic, olfactory and tactile exhibits
- Films are partially subtitled and translated into (German) sign language
- Guidance system in the floor
- Texts are also available in braille
- The Eifel National Park Administration is happy to organise tours through the exhibition in (German) sign language.
Free guided tours in the south of the National Park
Every Tuesday a park ranger will pick you up from the National Park Gate in Höfen at 1.30 p.m. and take you to the ranger rendezvous in Wahlerscheid.
Admission is free; open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
You will find the National Park host "Bistro Alte Molkerei"
(a former dairy) in the same building.
How to get to the National Park Gate in Höfen...
Nationalpark-Tor Monschau-Höfen
Hauptstraße 72, 52156 Monschau-Höfen
Tel.: 02472. 8025079, Fax: 02472. 8024977
National Park Gate in Nideggen
"Nature's treasure trove"
...is the title of the exhibition at the newest National Park Gate in Nideggen. It will open visitors' eyes to the incredible inventiveness of nature and to the diverse benefits it holds for us all. An example is the organisation of shoals of fish being copied by logistics specialists. Insects' legs show how energy-efficient and strong movement can be. Tactile and acoustic exhibits help you assimilate knowledge through play.
Standard facilities at the National Park Gate in Nideggen
- Tourist Information Centre
- Exhibition on "Nature's treasure trove"
- A digital model of the area
- National Park films
- Multi-lingualism: all texts can be heard in English, German, Dutch and French.
Barrier-free accessibility
- Easily accessible, without steps, and can be experienced by everyone
- Fully accessible toilet facilities
- Acoustic, olfactory and tactile exhibits
- Films are partially subtitled and translated into (German) sign language
- Guidance system in the floor
- Texts are also available in braille
- Texts available acoustically via audio guide.
- The Eifel National Park Administration is happy to organise tours through the exhibition in (German) sign language.
Free guided tours around the National Park Gate in
Nideggen
Every second Sunday from May to September outside the
school holidays, a free hike with a forest guide starts here (National
Park rendezvous in Nideggen).
Admission is free; open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Restaurant in the Natioonal Park Gate
Tel.: +49 (2)427. 3301220
How to get to the National Park Gate in Nideggen...
Nationalpark-Tor Nideggen
Im Effels 9, 52385 Nideggen
Tel.: 02427. 3301150, Fax: 02427. 3301295
























