The 36 km long mill route "Mühlen an Lieser und Salm" starting at the market square in Wittlich is marked as an Eifelsteig experience loop.
Detour: from October 8th to 14th, the Eifelsteig in the Musweiler area will be temporarily rerouted due to urgent forestry work.
The hiking distance will increase by about 800 meters. This detour also applies to the "Mühlen an Lieser und Salm" experience loop.
Travel times and prices: www.vrt-info.de
From the Tourist Information, you first go through the small alley between Frisör Ehlen and the Kebab House at the market. Across the square at the Lieser and the Lieser bridge, the town is left on the right-hand side through the city park with the marking of the Säubrenner route. The route soon passes the Brückenmühle (mill No. 1) and continues along the Lieser past Bürgerwehr and Felsenwehr and the Hasenmühle (No. 2) to the former Bastenmühle (No. 3). Important note: After the Brückenmühle, hiking is possible on both sides of the Lieser; both paths meet again at the bridge at the Hasenmühle! At the former Bastenmühle, go left slightly uphill along the agricultural path to the next intersection. From here, the marking of the Lieser trail accompanies the route into the forest. It goes past apple orchards and sheep pastures. At the fork in the forest, the path leads straight ahead over a wide, unpaved forest road. From here, the path is marked as the mill route "Mühlen an Lieser und Salm". The circular route turns right after a few meters over the lively "Zweibächlein" with a 180-degree turn. It goes slightly uphill. At the apex of the following left curve, a bench with a view of the Bohlensmühle (No. 4) on the opposite Lieser bank invites you to take a first break. Accompanied by the Lieser, which sometimes flows leisurely far below the forest path on partly steep riverbanks and sometimes at the same level, it continues with a view of the Abachsmühle (opposite Lieser bank/No. 5) until after about 5 km the Alte Pleiner Mühle (No. 6) is reached via the suspension bridge "Pleinerley". The "Alte Pleiner Mühle" is the last operated mill in the area around the Säubrenner town of Wittlich and was probably mentioned for the first time at the beginning of the 16th century. Guests can still expect the actual mill building from the original structure as well as a wing formerly used as an economic room. The former economic building houses the restaurant and a holiday apartment. Since 1926, the restaurant at the Alte Pleiner Mühle has existed, initially serving coffee and waffles mainly for fishermen and hunters. In 1935, mill operations were discontinued, and the restaurant business took center stage alongside agriculture. The dining room was expanded in 1963, and three years later a large parking lot was created. In the beer garden, which is directly adjacent to the lovingly renovated building, guests can enjoy the gentle rustling of the Lieser or watch the fish from the cozy warm dining room.
Starting at the "Alte Pleiner Mühle," the mill route continues over a quiet forest path that narrows significantly at the steep slope. A difficult section was "neutralized" by building two wooden bridges. The path then becomes "tamer," passing the Schladter Mühle (No. 7), and soon the outcrop "Schladter Brücke" is reached at the height of the country road (L60). A few hundred meters behind the bridge, the mill route turns left in the forest and follows the route of the Eifelsteig to the Cistercian Abbey Himmerod with the Alte Mühle (No. 8). The old grain, storage, and sawmill is the oldest completely preserved building in Himmerod from the 17th century and is now used as an art, museum, and meeting center. The historic Himmerod monastery complex is the highlight of the mill route and invites you to enjoy the unique atmosphere with all senses and time. From Himmerod, continue along the Eifelsteig following the Salm past Großlittgen (No. 9), Musweiler (No. 10), and Meesenmühle (No. 11) until the mill route leaves the Eifelsteig in the valley with the Bienenauer Bach via quiet forest paths towards Hupperath. In the village, the mill route passes the church and along the little-used country road up to the sports field. Here the L34 is crossed, and the "descent" begins through the forest over meadows and fields. Soon at the intersection, the county road K44 is crossed to the parking lot / fitness trail. The mill route follows the narrow path from the parking lot into the forest and leads after about 500 meters onto the upper vineyard path. Along the Wittlich vineyards, it goes along the forest edge. Here benches invite you to relax and enjoy the unique panoramic view over Wittlich and the Wittlich valley. Over wide forest roads, the route continues downhill towards the town. In the valley, the mill route meets the marking of the Lieser trail again and leads back to town on the same path as at the beginning.
Hiking on the Eifelsteig, the Lieser trail, and the mill route is characterized by the route over natural paths, which naturally become slippery in rainy weather. We recommend hiking boots with a good tread and hiking poles that provide safety on downhill sections.
Backpack with sufficient drinks and a first aid kit for blisters and minor injuries, hiking poles, and good hiking boots.
The mill route is predestined for weekend hiking. The connecting path via Großlittgen enables relaxed Eifelsteig hiking without changing accommodation.
