St Vith-Prüm-Schneifel-Losheim-St Vith 108 km

Cycling trip through quiet and beautiful parts of the German and Belgian Eifel. The trip takes you on cycling paths on former railway tracks, past the abbey of Prüm, across the Schneifel/Schwarzer Mann at almost 700 m, through the valley of the Our, and to the easternmost point of Belgium. The cycling trip is suited for the racing bike, apart from 350 m of gravel road which requires slowing down and a footbridge across the Auw on the German/Belgian border (see waypoints).
The trip starts at the former station of St. Vith and follows the Vennbahn cycle path (see waypoint) to the Our river, passing through a former railway tunnel (see waypoint). Here you continue towards Prüm, pass below the A60 Ourtal viaduct (see waypoint), and cross the border into Germany. You follow the Ihrenbach valley and after 1.5 km continue on the Eifel-Ardennen Radweg (see waypoint). This smoothly asphalted cycling path takes you through the valleys of the Ihrenbach, the Alfbach and the Prüm rivers, with beautiful wetlands, impressive viaducts, quiet countryside and woods, the station of Pronsveld, and through a tunnel (see waypoint). In Prüm you leave the cycle path (after about 36 km), take some small paths to have a touristic look of the abbey, and then start the climb towards the Schneifel. This is a climb in three stages taking you to the Schwarzer Mann, the third highest peak in the Eifel at 698 m. The climb is smooth, and only the first stretch on the B265 out of town is a bit busy. Up to about 600 m you ride through open countryside with great views, and the last stretch is through spruce forests on the ridge of Schwarzer Mann. There is a television tower on the ridge (see waypoint). The highest point is actually 699 m about 1.5 km further near the wintersport area. You take a small road down towards Schlausenbach and after another climb you go down to the Our valley between Auw and Verschneid. Just before Verschneid you take a small track parallel to the Our where you will end up crossing 350 m of gravel (see waypoint) to a picturesque footbridge across the Belgian-German border (see waypoint). See the waypoint for information on how to avoid the gravel, although slowing down would do the trick and it is a beautiful secluded spot. From the bridge you climb on asphalt to Weckerath and from there you continue through Krewinkel towards the easternmost point of Belgium (see waypoint), which you access via the German B265. The border point is just beside this road. There is nothing to mark the spot, and you continue to Losheim along the B265 where you access another cycle track on the former Vennquerbahn (see waypoint), a cycle path between Jünkerath and the Vennbahn at Weywertz. This path smoothly takes you up to Buchholz in Belgium at 625 m on the recently asphalted track. Here you leave the track via 150 m of gravel and continue on roads which take you via a small detour down into the Our valley. The descent to 425 m gives you excellent views of the Eifel. In Schönberg you take an initially steep road up into the forest. On the other side of the hill you leave the forest and follow small roads back to St. Vith, taking a few small climbs on the way.
You can find something to eat and drink in a few places, e.g. Prüm, the ski center log cabin at the Schwarzer Mann, Losheim, Schönberg and St. Vith. Apart from the 350 m of gravel near Verschneid, the footbridge, and the exit path from the Vennquerbahn at Buchholz, all paths and roads are asphalt. Route Sankt Vith-Neidingen-Bleialf-Pronsveld-Pittenbach-Watzerath-Prüm-Tafel-Niedermehlen-Sellericher Höhe-Sellerich-Schwarzer Mann-Schlausenbach-Auw bei Prüm-Weckerath-Krewinkel-Kehr-Losheim-Buchholz-Holzheim-Medendorf-Eimerscheid-Schönberg-Meyerode-Medell-Wallerode-Sank Vith.