4 Days in Blankenheim – a hidden gem in the Eifel

Have you ever heard of Blankenheim? Most probably not. Me neither, before I went there. This is one of the trips I made without any planning; a place where I had to be and still I fell in love with. This small town surprised me with its architecture and with the serenity it was radiating. If you love half-timbered houses (Fachwerkhäuser) and lavishly green nature, head to Blankenheim!

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white half-timbered houses with a white church behind then on a greeny hiltop, Blankenheim
Blankenheim with its castle

What to do in Blankenheim?

Blankenheim is a small medieval town in the Eifel region in Germany, a region popular with the beautiful nature, dreamy villages and wine trails. It is probably one of the most romantic regions in Germany. Don’t expect a lot of attractions or great museums there, just go to Blankenheim to enjoy its peacefulness and the beautiful nature.

Tip: You can combine Monschau (another small village with half-timbered houses) and Blankenheim in a day trip. Read here about the famous Christmas market in Monschau.

We spent 4 days in Blankenheim, one of my favorite types of holidays. Having a 9 to 5 job, you can allow yourself those short breaks that will charge you up. The place was so authentic, a small gem hidden in the forests in the Eifel valley. We absolutely loved walking around. There was also time for sitting outside in the cafes with a glass of wheat beer and a flammkuchen, enjoying the first warm rays of sunshine for the year. What else is there to do and see in this little place?

The Assumption of Mary Church, Blankenheim, Germany, Complete travel guide of Blankenheim, Germany, Eifel valley, Ahr valley, the castle of Blankenheim, the spring of Ahr, St. Mariä Himmelfahrt
The Assumption of Mary Church, Blankenheim, Germany

Enjoy the beautiful medieval half-timbered houses

They are everywhere. Stroll around and enjoy this charming place. Go back in time and walk the cobbled streets passing under the many town gates, or even drive under one of them.

The Source of Ahr, Blankenheim, Germany, Complete travel guide of Blankenheim, Germany, Eifel valley, Ahr valley, the castle of Blankenheim, the spring of Ahr
The Source of Ahr, Blankenheim, Germany

Find the source of Ahr

You would expect from a river to start flowing from a mountain, but this one starts from a cellar in a house built in 1726. The Ahr River flows for 89 km before it gets into the Rhine. The valley of Ahr is absolutely gorgeous with vineyards on the hillsides, famous for the Spätburgunder grape.

Freilinger Lake - Freilinger See, Blankenheim, Germany, Complete travel guide of Blankenheim, Germany, Eifel valley, Ahr valley, the castle of Blankenheim, the spring of Ahr, watersports, windsurfing, swimming, pedal boats
Schwanenweiher, Blankenheim, Germany

Relax at Schwanenweiher

Schwanenweiher is s a small lake just outside the town. It offers numerous water activities like fishing, diving, and swimming. There are also pedal boats. We couldn’t do any of these as we were there in April, but you can just walk around the lake and enjoy its calmness or go for a pick-nick there if the weather is nice.

Burg Blankenheim, the Castle of Blankenheim, Eifel region, Ahr valley, youth hostel, Germany
Burg Blankenheim – the Castle of Blankenheim, Germany

Hike to the Castle of Blankenheim

The Castle of Blankenheim (Burg Blankenheim) was built in 1115 on the hill overlooking the hamlet by Gerhard I and became seat of the House of Blankenheim. For more than 100 years the castle remained abandoned following the invasion of the French troops in 1794. In 1936 the castle was converted into a youth hostel and still functions as such.

Learn more about the Eifel region in the Eifel Museum

At the The Eifel Museum you can see there a model of the Karststein caves (Karststeinhöhle) where the Neanderthals settled 60 thousand years ago. There is also shown the way of life around 1900 in the farming communities in the neighbourhood. Check the opening hours here. Admission is free.

The Gate of St. George, Georgtor, Blankenheim, Germany, Complete travel guide of Blankenheim, Germany, Eifel valley, Ahr valley, the castle of Blankenheim, the spring of Ahr
The Gate of St. George – Georgtor, Blankenheim, Germany

Find out how they celebrate Carnival at the Carnival Museum

The Carnival Museum is quite an unusual museum. It’s located in the Gate of St. George, it hosts an exhibition dedicated to the festivities around Lent.

View on Burg Blankenheim, the Castle of Blankenheim, Eifel region, Ahr valley, youth hostel, Germany
Burg Blankenheim – the Castle of Blankenheim, Germany

Walking trails around Blankenheim

Blankenheim and the area around are a paradise for those who love nature and walking.

The Ahrsteig trail

The 90 km long trail begins at the source of Ahr and you can choose from 2 routes – red and blue. The red finishes at Altenahr while the blue one continues along the river to Sinzing where Ahr flows into the Rhine.  You can switch between the two routes via four connecting trails.

The Eifelsteig trail

The 313 km long Eifelsteig trail that crosses the whole Eifel valley passes through town. At Blankenheim there ends the 6th stage of the trail and begins the 7th.

Jakobsweg

The famous Road to Santiago passes also through Blankenheim. The town is a stop on the route from Cologne to Le Puy.

Hirtentor, Blankenheim, Germany, Complete travel guide of Blankenheim, Germany, Eifel valley, Ahr valley, the castle of Blankenheim, the spring of Ahr
Hirtentor, Blankenheim, Germany

How to get to Blankenheim?

Blankenheim is located at 70 km to the South-West of Cologne and 240 km to the North-West of Frankfurt. We went there by car from the Netherlands, but the town is also accessible by public transport. It takes a little more than hour from the Central Station in Cologne and there are trains each 60 minutes. You can check the schedules here.
Use the map below to plan your trip from Cologne or Frankfurt. Blankenheim is also easily accessible from the airports of Weeze, Cologne/Bonn and Frankfurt.

 

 

Where to stay in Blankenheim?

You won’t expect it but there are a lot of hotels and other types of accommodation in Blankenheim. My advice – stay in one of the half-timbered houses in the historical centre. The atmosphere those houses have is incomparable. They feel like a real time-machine.

Check for the best available options here:



Booking.com

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a half-timbered white house with a church tower at the back and overlay text Discover Blankenheim Germany
some white houses with timber frames and a church with overlay text: complete travel guide of Blankenheim, Germany
timber framed white houses and overlay text: complete guide to Blankenheim, Germany

36 thoughts on “4 Days in Blankenheim – a hidden gem in the Eifel”

  1. This is the type of place I love to find along my travels. Blankenheim looks incredible with its’ half timbered houses and nature. A perfect destination to rejuvenate and recharge yourself. Definitely my kind of holiday!

  2. This really is discovering a hidden gem! I didn’t know about Blakenheim until now but there are many trails and historic places to see. A great feel here thanks to your lovely photos.

  3. Blankenheim looks like a lovely town. I find unpopular places more appealing to me like this one. I would have a better chance to experience a lot of outdoor activities because there will be few tourists only. The houses look beautiful. I suddenly remember the first few scenes of the Beauty and the Beast where Belle was singing. Blankenheim looks kinda similar to it but better. I would add this on my bucket list.

    Iza c/o Janine (Fill My Passport)

  4. I One of my favourite things about this area of Europe was finding these hidden gem villages! Blankenheim totally looks like the perfect place to visit

  5. such a Pretty place, made me read it till the end. Nice picture too and i would be really interested to see the inside of one of those classy house as well. maybe you should share it with us ?

    • That’s a good idea! Thanks! I think, I have photos from our B&B which was in one of those old buildings.

  6. Visiting Blankenheim looks so much better than a visit to Berlin or Munich. What I like about a visit to Blankenheim is the beautiful buildings and quiet neighborhoods. The walks sound good too, and I’m sure they are well signposted.

    • Yes, indeed it is very peaceful in the surroundings. If you want to escape from the big cities, this is a wonderful place.

  7. What a charming place. It looks like it’s out of a fairytale. Maybe someday I can manage to visit Germany! The photos are so beautiful!

  8. I’d definitely never heard of Blankenheim before, but now I’m intrigued! It looks so quaint, cozy and pretty! Loved your photos and tips, thanks for sharing!

  9. I haven’t heard.about it before but it looks like a true gem, especially that Freilinger lake. Love its colors !

  10. II’m planning a trip to Germany and I found this really useful 🙂 never heard about this place but I’ll gladly check it out!

  11. Blankenheim is seriously picture-perfect! I had also never heard of it before, but those half-timbered houses are everything! Thank you for sharing this hidden gem 🙂 I want to go!

  12. These photos made me so nostalgic for my time in Germany, I just love these classic little towns! Thanks for reminding me why I need to go back 🙂

  13. I’ve never heard of Blankenheim before, but it looks so cute – love them houses! Do you think 4 days is enough, or could you visit over a couple of days?

    • Depends on what you are planning to do – even one day is enough there, but if you want to do some of the walks, you need to stay longer.

  14. What a pretty town! It reminds me of the village in Beauty and the Beast. I have not made it to Europe, but this looks like a wonderful place to visit!

    • Oh, I hope you will make it one day to Europe! There are so many places worth the visit, so I am sure you will have some tough time planning 🙂

  15. This place is so picturesque! How did you hear about this town before visiting it? I’d love to go around Germany and visit the small towns so I will definitely be saving this article for trip planning!

  16. I’ve never heard of Blakenheim before! It looks and sounds like a fun, relaxing city to explore. Thank you for sharing your vacation with us!

  17. Thank you for your informative article! I live close to Germany at the moment and I’m definitely on a quest to little weekend getaways 🙂 will keep your article in my bookmarks!

  18. II enjoyed reading your article. It’s close to where I live and never heard of it. It looks very beautiful and worth the visit. It’s amazing to know we have beautiful places so close to home. We also work full time and like to take weekend trips to explore. Great piece of history.

  19. I’ve never heard of this place before, but I’m glad you introduced me to it! Such beautiful photos 😀

  20. Your photos have convinced me! I’m based in Berlin so I’m always looking for places to to travel in the country that are off the beaten track! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    • It is not popular at all, but it is absolutely worth the visit! I am happy if I can discover and write about less know places.

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About Daniela

Daniela is the creator and writer of this travel blog. A writer by nature and occupation and traveller by heart, Daniela will take you to all forgotten corners of Europe and even beyond. She travels with her partner, but his only role is to be the greatest fan of this blog. To learn more, check out the About section.