Narrow gorges and narrow crevices, overgrown with mosses and lichens, huge rock towers, mighty boulders with bizarre weathered shapes - a wild, primeval landscape characterises the Ferschweiler Plateau and its surroundings.

Towards the end of the last ice age - around 12,000 years ago - the alternation of frost and thaw periods led to huge rockfalls on the edge of the plateau. A large sandstone block toppled out of the plateau wall at that time, opening up a crevice that is now 28 metres deep and fascinates anyone who has ever walked through it: the Teufelsschlucht (Devil's Gorge).

But this does not tell the full story of its fascinating origins. It begins with a sea that spread out here 190 million years ago. Anyone walking through the Devil's Gorge in the Felsenland Südeifel today is walking in the middle of an ancient seabed that has turned to stone.

Hiking routes

A tour through the Devil's Gorge is a must for every hiker in the Felsenland and a nature experience you will never forget. The 17-kilometre-long premium hiking trail "Felsenweg 6" of the NaturWanderPark delux is named after the Devil's Gorge. Three other marked circular hiking trails between 2 and 6 kilometres in length lead through the gorge and up and down narrow paths through the rocks: the Small and Large Rundweg Teufelsschlucht and the Teuflische Acht. This fantastically beautiful hiking route connects the Devil's Gorge with the Irreer Wasserfälle, the rapids of the Prüm, which have been crossed by a suspension bridge since September 2023.

In the Naturparkzentrum Teufelsschlucht, an exhibition provides information about the formation and special features of the fascinating rocky landscape. The "Teufels Küche" bistro invites you to take a break on the sun terrace. Numerous environmental education and nature experience offers for children and adults can be booked at the nature park centre.

Tip for families: The Dinosaurierpark Teufelsschlucht is located in the immediate vicinity - a must for anyone interested in the history of the earth and the origin of life! Further information about the Devil's Gorge can be found here.