Float on your back in the cool, deep blue waters of the Ulmener Maar and follow the gaze of this ‘eye of the Eifel’ up to the cloudless sky. You can hear the twittering of birdsong from the shores and sometimes the laughter of children playing in the meadows nearby. The golden sunshine dances on the surface of the water. In this moment, there is no hint of the powerful, deafening explosion that ripped open the earth at this very spot many thousands of years ago. The origins of this unique beauty lie deep beneath the ground. Slumbering, until now, as we delve into the depths of ancient history.
There are nine more of these water-filled sinkholes, many of them perfect circles, which together make up the trademark of the unspoilt volcanic Eifel region in the Rhineland Palatinate uplands. At first glance, they look like lakes, but they are really a throwback to a volcanic eruption, one of many in the history of volcanic activity in the Eifel. The first appeared around 45 million years ago, when the earth’s crust was massively stretched during the formation of the Alps.
A walk along the narrow paths near Manderscheid takes you back to these times. Here, you will find the Eckfelder Maar, the oldest maar in the volcanic Eifel region, which has now dried out and represents an important archaeological site. The skeleton of the 50 cm tall ‘Eckfelder Urpferdchen’ or Eckfeld prehistoric horse, which once roamed the land at these latitudes, is just one of the impressive discoveries to admire in this dried-out maar.
Impressive view of the Schalkenmehrener Maar near Daun, Eifel
However, most of the maars that are still filled with water date back to the Quaternary Period, a period in the formation of the Eifel around 2.6 million years ago. It ended with the eruption that formed the Ulmener Maar around 10,000 years ago.
Rising magma met water-bearing strata of rock. The second they made contact, there was a powerful explosion that tore the rock all around into tiny fragments and flung them up to one kilometre into the air. This material fell back to earth and mostly settled in a ring around the sinkhole formed by the explosion as a heavy layer of cinder or ash. At the same time, the unstable soil around slipped down into the maar. Over time, the volcanic activity calmed down and the resulting craters were eventually filled as groundwater flowed into them.
View of the Ulmener Maar from the Maare und Thermen Pfad leisure trail, Eifel
Hikers on the Eifelsteig trail along the Weinfelder Maar, Eifel
You can find out more about this explosive era in the history of the Eifel at one of the many museums in the Vulkaneifel UNESCO Global Geopark, including the Eifel-Vulkanmuseum in Daun, the Maarmuseum in Manderscheid and the Gerolstein Natural History Museum. Or you can get close up, with a walk or a cycle ride though the volcanic Eifel region. There are footpaths through the unspoilt countryside, with interesting facts along the way and spectacular views of the lush green setting of the maars from many points. The banks are lined with gorse and heath, with picture-postcard water-lily beds and water birds.
And, if you want, you can treat yourself to a refreshment or a relaxing boat trip on the mirror-glass surface of the water, although things are still simmering away underneath. Researchers believe there could be another eruption in another few tens of thousands of years. What could make a weekend more special than a moment of calm above an active volcano?
Pedalo ride on the Gemündener Maar, Eifel
The massive Strohn lava bomb at the Vulkanhaus in Strohn, Eifel
A real natural treasure that was originally formed by explosive natural forces is rarely as tangibly close as the Pulvermaar in the volcanic Eifel region. Take a walk with a knowledgeable guide through vast green meadows and ancient forests as you discover the secrets of the maars. You can discover their beauty and also experience the way of life of those living in this fascinating region close up!
