Beer & Hike: Heimbacher & Abtai Mariawald

(Editors Note: This is not a war-themed hike)
On the evening of February 9, 1945, an American patrol of engineers of the 303rd arrived at the Schwammenauel Dam in order to locate any explosives and defuse them before the Germans could set them off. The American military brass feared that the Germans were planning to blow up the dam to either trap advancing American troops or create a huge obstacle to cross. The Schwammenauel dam was the primary flood-control dam of the Roer River (also spelled Rur). Since September 1944, the Americans had been trying to take this dam in what has become known as the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest. During this battle, the forest would go by other names to those fighting there. American soldiers called it a Death Factory. Germans called it the Green Hell. By the time this patrol of engineers arrived, over 24,000 Americans had already been killed, wounded, or MIA during the campaign. The engineers found that the Germans had already sabotaged several valves, and the dam was leaking profusely, but in no eminent danger. Under heavy fire, the engineers managed to make it to the tunnel beneath the dam which would be the natural place to set the explosives. When they reached the tunnel, they captured several German soldiers and took control of the dam. What they didn’t find were any explosives. On the morning of February 10, the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest was effectively over.

Today the Schwammenauel Dam and the Rursee that it creates are a holiday-goer’s paradise. Whether hiking, biking, sailing, swimming, or just sipping a beer in one of the cute villages that are nestled all over the well-protected river valley, it is a good place to appreciate life and the beauty of the outdoors. As such, it was a great opportunity to set aside my frequent war-theme and return to focusing a little more on the two key aspects of a Beer & Hike: the Beer and the Hike. And this hike has two beer-loving doozies. The first is the Heimbacher Brauhaus situated in the Dormio Resort Eifeler Tor where the hike essentially starts and ends. The other is the Abtai Mariawald which is a former monastery that operates as a brewery. The final hike is a rather snappy one by my standards at 14.1km. But it hit the spot in all respects with its combination of scenic views, lush forest trails, a cute riverside village, and two breweries.

Hike Details

Starting Point	Parkplatz Büdenbach
Distance	14.1km
My Moving Time	2h 39m

It’s Not Just a Beer, It’s a Journey

The hike kicks off from the Dormio Resort Eifeler Tor, a fun-looking but probably pricey family resort with its own supermarket, shops, restaurants, and the Heimbacher brewery.

The Rur River sits at the base of the resort and meanders off harmlessly.

The hike climbs up the Meuchelberg where there is a great view of the undulating scenery.

The village of Heimbach has a tantalizing charm. I didn’t stop to savor it, but it looked to be worth an afternoon of whiling away in one of its cafes or browsing its shops.

The next ascent is up the Altenberg.

Abtai Mariawald

The abbey was the home of Trappist monks until 2018 when the last remaining monks left. The abbey was taken over to continue functioning as a brewery, restaurant, museum, and gift shop. The abbey beer can be tasted in the restaurant or purchased in bottles at the very nice gift shop, which sells other regional beers as well. My backpack gained some weight on this stop.

The Nemus Mariae Tripel brewed in the abbey, a rare Belgian-style beer brewed in Germany

After the abbey, there is a long soothing stretch of comfortable and well-shaded forest.

Some trees near the end of the hike show signs of damage from the European Spruce Bark Beetle

After the long section of peaceful forest, there is finally a view of the Rursee and the Schwammenauel Dam.

Dormio Resort next to the Schwammenauel Dam

Heimbacher Brauhaus

Situated in the very modern main street of the Dormio Resort, the Heimbacher Brauhaus lacks the old German charm of a traditional brauhaus, but that is a mere trifle. Heimbacher makes the traditional German styles and the pilsner was a great reward for a truly beautiful hike. Bottles of Heimbacher can be purchased in the resort’s supermarket (which I did).

Later at the Airbnb….

One of the regional beers from the Abtai that I drank at the Airbnb

Final Remarks

So many of my hikes recently have had a war theme (and there are many more to come) that a hike like this is a refreshing reminder of the joy of a pure Beer & Hike. This hike is a worthy respite in a region filled with war memorials. To the north, there are all of the Hürtgen Forest sites like Hill 554, Schmidt, and Vossenack. Just to the south, there are the Vogelsang Nazi Training site and the Urft Dam, which was the other main American target during the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest. But if you follow in my footsteps on this hike, you have my permission to skip all that for one day and just enjoy the holiday atmosphere, scenery, and of course the beer.