Even the formation of the Eifel was great cinema: huge volcanic eruptions left behind striking mountains and mysterious maars. Even today, castles tell of medieval life, Monschau's town houses bear witness to the wealth of the cloth makers and juniper heaths to the hardship of the farmers. Famous monasteries such as Maria Laach cast a spell over excursionists and those in search of meaning. This hiking guide describes the nature and culture of this marvellous region, from the high moors of the High Fens to the Moselsteig Trail and the Devil's Gorge in the south.