Grüne Hölle Bollendorf

7km loop in Bollendorf (DE), near Echternach.
Park behind the hotel at Sonnenbergallee 1, 54669 Bollendorf. No good public transport options for this one, unfortunately.
Follow signs for the “Naturpark Südeifel” trail 55 (see bottom). The easily-spotted pink headphones will also lead the way.
An excellent audio guide in French, German and Dutch is available.
Count on at least three hours, even for for experienced / fit hikers.

Ever get the feeling right from the start that a hike is going to be extra-special?

Well, this happened to me on this fabulous trail, right from the moment a red squirrel darted onto the trail just metres ahead of me. Startled, she vanished under a rock, then peeked back, baby in mouth. Too cute not to photograph.

Until the presence of the squirrel, I had been completely alone on this hike. No cars in the parking lot, no-one else on the trail. In fact, squirrel aside, I didn’t see another soul for almost two hours after arriving, which I found rather strange because this “Green Hell” is quite a “famous” trail. It won, for example, second place in “Germany’s Most Beautiful Hiking Trail 2024”, an accolade that it fully merits.

Looking at the photos above you’d be forgiven for thinking that it looks pretty much the same as any other hike in the Mullerthal (albeit on the German side of the border). Just like in Luxembourg, the rock formations and viewpoints come thick and fast, constantly tempting you to get out the camera and snap. But what makes this hike special is, ironically, the one thing that I was highly sceptical about: the audio guide.

After downloading the entire guide at the starting point (or before the hike: see link at bottom) you’ll be discreetly guided along the way by passionate local historians and outdoor experts. Led by GPS, the guide activates automatically when you’re approaching a point of interest; no fiddling around trying to find the correct file or watching your screen instead of the scenery. There’s a choice of three languages (FR, DE and NL) and a satisfying (but not overbearing) ten waypoints to discover.

I famously dislike audio guides, but reluctantly downloaded the French version and – to my enormous surprise – loved it! Engaging, informative and, crucially, genuinely adding to my overall enjoyment of the hike, it was superb. OK, I admit, some of the audio descriptions were a bit too long for my short attention span, so I simply muted the volume from time to time and read the transcript instead. Bravo!

The Grüne Hölle rock formation near Bollendorf, Germany.

The “Grüne Hölle” itself is a narrow and fairly dark crevice that doesn’t quite meet the hype; it’s hard to see why this particular rock formation is superior to or more famous than any of the other landmarks on this trail. And they come thick and fast, with wonderful evocative names like the Affenhof, Lingelslay and Muhmenslay.

Better, then, to think of this hike in a more holistic way, a magical, award-winning journey on foot through some of the most beguiling scenery in this quiet corner of Europe.

Useful links

Official website: https://www.eifel.info/en/hiking/all-hiking-trails/a-audio-tour-gruene-hoelle-green-hell The audio guides can also be downloaded from this website.
Recommended accommodation in Bollendorf – The “Bright Bollendorf Studio” hosted by Kara and Dave (AirBNB)