Four Days on the Eifel-Camino: From Namedy to Lutzerath

Four days and around 75 kilometres on the Eifel-Camino from Namedy to Lutzerath – as preparation for the Camino Francés. A pilgrim tells of asphalt stretches, closed stamping points and dreamlike woodland paths.

Dear fellow pilgrims,

today I'd like to share with you the experiences I had on the way from Namedy to Lutzerath. Let me say up front: these were four days that were unforgettable in one way or another, taking me through parts of the Eifel that I will probably never set eyes on again – which in some cases is just as well.

Before I get to the individual stages, a very short summary: the first two stages – yuck; the last two – wow.

Stage 1: Namedy – Kruft (approx. 19 km)

My wife dropped me off in Namedy, where I promptly picked up my first stamp at Thomae. Proud as a peacock, I set off on the path, which immediately dampened my enthusiasm somewhat, because it is, quite simply, disgusting.

It runs along an asphalt track beside the railway line, under bridges and past run-down industrial sites – yuck!

Arriving in Andernach, I wanted to get my second stamp at the Catholic parish office of Maria Himmelfahrt – but they had just closed, and not even singing a rosary ten times over could persuade them to open up again for a moment.

I now know that you can apparently also get a second stamp at the Geysir information centre. So I toddled on towards Miesenheim, past the stadium, the swimming pool and a muscle gym, out of which two “pumped-up”, oriental-looking “gentlemen” were just emerging; they gave me a pitying look and then drove off in a BMW 3 Series convertible. Some prejudices do come from reality after all.

In Miesenheim I had more luck, because the Bartenbach butcher's was open; I didn't even bother going past Herr Blaeser's. On towards Plaidt – by now the sun was blazing down and I was glad of my Swedish “fox hat” from Fjällräven, whose wide brim gave me shade.

This was the first time I noticed that, out of misguided thriftiness, I hadn't ordered the pilgrim guide as well.

All I had with me was a map of the Vulkanpark, which led me past Saffig to Plaidt – probably a shortcut, but never mind.

In Plaidt, of course, the municipal office was closed. Leaving Plaidt, the route runs very straight past fields – I hate pounding asphalt.

Just before Kretz I made the wrong choice again – I turned left straight away – when I should have carried on to the next bridge. As a result I had to make a wide loop along a row of trees, which wasn't too bad either – I had plenty of time. And so, after about 3½ hours, I reached the end of my first stage, Kruft, where I put up at the Gasthof “Zum Hirsch”. Everything a bit 70s style, but OK – after that first stage I slept very well!

Stage 2: Kruft – Mayen (approx. 14.7 km, felt like 30 km)

After breakfast I got my stamp at the municipal office. There I was told that there are also stamping points in the café opposite and in the parish office.

So I set off along the path that runs past the B 256. I opted for the direct variant and left out Mendig.

The pilgrimage church of Fraukirch and the inn were both closed, so no stamp there either – still, I took a break here, because I really liked the peace and the atmosphere. On I went towards the Reginarisbrunnen, at the end of which there's currently construction work – the route for traffic had been slightly changed.

And this is where my martyrdom began.

I decided to go left towards Thür to pay a visit to the Pilgerschnecke. But the Löhrsche wasn't there, so I turned onto the B-What-Have-You or the L-Heaven-Knows. I carried on along the road until I came to what looked like a labyrinthine tangle of roads – where to now? No pavement – nothing. Just cars shooting past me.

I then went for the variant through the Mayen industrial estate. Cursing loudly to myself, I looked for a footpath that I didn't find. So I kept going along the country road until I reached the built-up area.

When I got there, I discovered that I'd lost one of my asphalt pads – I'd only brought one pair. So I decided to walk without poles and to ram one of my Lekis down the throat of the next person who gave me any grief.

Now I understand what Kerkeling went through on the N6. After seemingly endless trudging on asphalt – but now, thank God, with a pavement again – I reached the Maifelder Hof, my accommodation.

Here I freshened up first and then headed into the centre of Mayen.

At the Mayener Bücherstube I bought myself the official pilgrim guide first of all, plus a keyring with a bronze scallop shell, which I fastened to my rucksack. I also got new pads at Intersport Krumholz. Still somewhat angry inside – mainly at my own shortcomings – I collected all three pilgrim stamps one after the other – Ha! – and you won after all – I thought.

At peace with myself and the world again, I fell asleep content and blissful.

Stage 3: Mayen – Kaisersesch (approx. 19.3 km)

Well rested and refreshed, I feasted on the generous breakfast buffet, paid my room tithe and set off towards Kaisersesch – not without first swallowing my high-dose magnesium and Men's Health vitamin capsule.

I took the magnesium morning and evening.

The route out of Mayen slowly starts to climb. And then it goes up – and not just a little. I have to say, though, that short, steep climbs don't bother me much.

The effort was worth it, because from the St. James column you get a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. But it was so windy up there that I first got out my jacket and stripped it down to waistcoat level.

I took about a 10-minute break up here – 2,158 km to Santiago – so, onwards. The stretch to Monreal is simply dreamlike and made up for yesterday's ordeal. You could just walk along and “eat up” the kilometres.

In Monreal I discovered that Cafe Plüsch has closed down for good. Oh well, never mind!

I went to the parish church of the Holy Trinity and hammered the stamp into my passport so hard that the lectern almost gave way beneath me – because there's no ink pad here.

In a little corner café I had a coffee and a Nussecke and walked on. The official route description “station–sports ground–meadow” is a bit of a story, because I had instinctively taken a shortcut. The path along the Elzbach on the Eifel-Schieferweg is simply dreamlike.

I didn't meet a living soul – not on foot, on horseback or by bike. At Herr Schmitz's in Urmersbach I got my next stamp and continued on my way. After about 5 hours I reached the end of my stage – the Pilgerstube in Kaisersesch.

Stage 4: Kaisersesch – Lutzerath (approx. 20 km)

Once in the Pilgerstube, the first thing I did, in a death-defying manoeuvre, was remove the smoke detector mounted under the roof beams and finish off the constantly beeping pest by taking out its battery. The room is OK – for anyone who's into lots of wood and old junk in the form of roasting tins, pots, masses of crucifixes and Sacred Heart pictures.

For me it was a bit much. What's more, the room can't be darkened, which had me up at 5 a.m. The evening before I'd enjoyed an asparagus Flammkuchen and two white wine spritzers at the “Alt-Esch” – thanks to Carina for the tip.

So the next morning I was already on my way by 6:30, after another climbing session to put the smoke detector back in place in working order – as if I'd sensed what lay ahead of me. The pilgrim guide leads you out of Kaisersesch past a hotel complex, at the end of which you're supposed to turn left onto a forest path.

The problem at the moment is that this path is closed – there's construction work going on. Confused by two diggers, a mound of excavated earth and the barrier, I went straight on across the railway line.

After a few hundred metres, however, I realised that I had come out exactly at the underpass through which I'd entered Kaisersesch the day before. So back I went and sized up the situation at the hotel. Scorning death, I ignored the barrier and was then on the right path – the basalt column and the shell were back – hurrah!

The path then led me through a lovely stretch of woodland towards Leienkaul. At first, though, I went past the Breitenbruck cemetery, because the forest path named in the guide was blocked by an organic-waste container – Eifel farmers!

In Leienkaul I turned back, since that obviously wasn't right. I squeezed past the container and was then back on the right path towards Maria Martental.

This path is a real devil, though, because the rain had softened it and in places it drops away very steeply. Without walking poles you're going nowhere here! When I got to Martental – it was 8:25 – I found that the monastery shop doesn't open until 2 p.m. – bah.

After a break of about 25 minutes I continued my walk along the Endertbach and crossed the L 52, then turned sharply left onto the forest path again. Everything went wonderfully as far as the wooden bridge described in the guide. After crossing it, I took another short break on a bench, had a drink and “wolfed down” a Dextro tablet and some trail mix.

The climb up to the B259 was pure torture for me. I don't cope very well with long, drawn-out climbs – and on top of that there were these low-flying jets the whole time. I had to stop and catch my breath several times along the way. Then I'd made it, and Alflen was soon reached. Why can the people of Alflen manage what was apparently impossible in Monreal: putting an ink pad next to the pilgrim stamp?

Then on to Gillenbeuren – not very attractive scenery. Extensive fields, the smell of slurry in the air and, by the wayside, majestic-looking stinging nettles two metres tall – magnificent flora!

I was soon through Gillenbeuren – after that came a few more “charming” climbs – by then I'd actually had enough. Godforsaken climbs! In Driesch I followed the signs to the Mater Dolorosa stamping point.

After a “mysterious” fire, however, it's currently being restored and the stamping point is closed for the foreseeable future. From there it was only about 2 km to the end of my stage, Lutzerath, where I got my last stamp at the Gaststätte Maas. Then I collapsed onto one of the benches on the main street and freed myself from my Lowa Caminos – true beauties, which, after about 75 km, are now well and truly broken in.

After cooling my feet in a fountain and slipping into my sandals, I waited about another 20 minutes for my pilgrim taxi in the form of my wife and our Volvo.

Looking ahead – and the moral of the story

In September, as a final preparation for the Camino Francés, I'd like to cover the last 4 stages to Trier.

And the moral of the story? Never skimp on the pilgrim guide.

The route in Camino Ninja

You'll find the Eifel-Camino from Andernach-Namedy to Trier with stages, map and accommodation in Camino Ninja: Eifel-Camino.