Weinfelder Maar (Totenmaar)

The Weinfelder Maar or Totenmaar is located in a nature reserve. Although swimming in the lake is forbidden, there is a lot to discover. It is the middle of the three Dauner Maarseen and lies above the other two maars. The wall around the maar is comparatively low. To the west is the Männlichen mountain with a lookout tower from which you have a beautiful view over the Daun Maare.

The Weinfelder Maar, also called Totenmaar, is a maar about two kilometers southeast of the city of Daun in the Eifel, Rhineland-Palatinate. The Maarsee was created around 10,500 years ago by a volcanic steam explosion and is around 525 m long, 375 m wide and 51 m deep. The water surface is about 16.8 hectares. The Maar lies at an altitude of 483.5 m above sea level. NHN. [1] The tuff wall surrounding the lake is higher on the western and southern sides than in the north and east. In the course of this wall are the Mäuseberg (561.2 m) and the Maarkreuz (534.5 m). The area of the lake is now a nature reserve. The name "Totenmaar" comes from the cemetery in the immediate vicinity of the Maars with a small chapel, some of which dates from the 14th century. It is the former parish church of Weinfeld. The village was abandoned in the 16th century (last documented mention in 1512) due to the plague.
The chapel and the connected cemetery are used today by the municipality of Schalkenmehren for burials. In the entrance area of the chapel there are numerous thank-you boards with dedications such as: "Maria has helped."

When I visited the Totenmaar, I noticed the gliders, because there is a glider airfield right next door. Unfortunately I didn't make it due to time constraints, but I'm sure it would be a brilliant idea to be able to view the maars from above in a glider. If anyone has any specific tips on how to arrange this, please post here.