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Germany
North Rhine-Westphalia

Cologne District

Städteregion Aachen
Simmerath

Smuggler's Trail in Hohes Venn-Eifel Nature Park

Discover
Places to see
Germany
North Rhine-Westphalia

Cologne District

Städteregion Aachen
Simmerath

Smuggler's Trail in Hohes Venn-Eifel Nature Park

Highlight • Trail

Smuggler's Trail in Hohes Venn-Eifel Nature Park

Recommended by 107 hikers out of 111

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Naturpark Hohes Venn-Eifel

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    Best Hikes to Smuggler's Trail in Hohes Venn-Eifel Nature Park

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    1. View of Rursee – Rursee and Rurberg loop from Rurberg

    26.6km

    07:30

    480m

    480m

    Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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    Expert

    Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

    Expert

    Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

    Intermediate

    Tips

    July 2, 2021

    “The way takes its name from the post-war period, when coffee smuggling from Belgium was one of the Schmidter's most important sources of income. Schmidt was destroyed to over 90% at the end of World War II, including the parish church of St. Hubertus. With the profit from the smuggling of coffee across the nearby border, the Schmidter got their families through and rebuilt their destroyed houses. Of course, this did not go unnoticed by the then pastor Josef Beyer. The reconstruction of the church went a little less quickly at first. He said in a sermon: “I know that you get a headache from a lot of money. For me it's the other way around, because I don't know where to get the money from to rebuild the church. ”From now on, the smugglers sacrificed part of their profits from the coffee business to rebuild the church. It is therefore popularly known as St. Mocha ”Auch
    marked as path no 60

    Translated by Google •

      December 16, 2024

      The “smugglers’ path” around Schmidt in the Hürtgen Forest above the Rureifel is around 10.5 kilometers long. The route commemorates more than 30 people who died between 1945 and 1953 during the “Aachen Coffee Front.”

      Translated by Google •

        A steep climb, but fun

        Translated by Google •

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          Elevation 350 m

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          Max wind speed: 20.0 km/h

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          Location: Simmerath, Städteregion Aachen, Cologne District, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

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