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Germany

North Rhine-Westphalia

Cologne District

Kreis Düren

Nideggen

Effelsfelsen Rock Formations

Discover

Places to see

Natural Monuments

Germany

North Rhine-Westphalia

Cologne District

Kreis Düren

Nideggen

Effelsfelsen Rock Formations

Highlight • Natural Monument

Effelsfelsen Rock Formations

Recommended by 96 hikers out of 101

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Naturpark Hohes Venn-Eifel

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Location: Nideggen, Kreis Düren, Cologne District, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

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Best Hikes to Effelsfelsen Rock Formations

4.7

(446)

1,542

hikers

1. View of Nideggen Castle loop from Abenden

14.7km

04:29

470m

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

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Moderate

4.7

(160)

557

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2. View of Nideggen Castle – View of Nideggen Castle loop from Nideggen

8.47km

02:26

210m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

4.6

(135)

497

hikers

3. View of Nideggen Castle loop from Nideggen

11.2km

03:28

380m

390m

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

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Moderate

Tips

Stephan N

June 28, 2024

Very beautiful rock formations in the Effelsfelsen climbing area.
The rust-red rock bastions along the valley slopes dominate the landscape in the Rur valley. But how did these impressive rock faces and towers come into being?
The rocks are made of rubble and sand that was formed by weathering in a hot, desert-like landscape in the early Mesozoic during the Triassic period, more precisely in the formation of the "Buntsandstein" around 240 million years ago. Weathering under tropical climatic conditions is also the reason for the red color of the rocks. In these deserts there were violent storms from time to time, which transported the sand and rubble masses via large rivers into depressions and deposited them there. During transport in the river, the larger stones were ground down into rounded pebbles. Today, embedded in the sand that has solidified over millions of years, they can be clearly seen in the rocks. In geology, these types of rocks are known as "conglomerates".
When the Eifel gradually rose millions of years later, having eroded into a low-lying plain, the larger rivers, such as the Rur, cut deeper and deeper into the sedimentary rocks, particularly during the ice ages, thus exposing the rock formations that can be seen today.
Source:
biostation-dueren.de/schutzgebiete/buntsandsteinfelsen-im-rurtal

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Luis Koch

February 20, 2025

The detour is definitely worth it

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Elevation 340 m

Weather

Saturday 13 December

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Max wind speed: 19.0 km/h

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Location: Nideggen, Kreis Düren, Cologne District, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

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Effelsfelsen Rock Formations

1. View of Nideggen Castle loop from Abenden

2. View of Nideggen Castle – View of Nideggen Castle loop from Nideggen

3. View of Nideggen Castle loop from Nideggen

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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