Route
The route remains flat at first. The landscape along the Lower Rhine, through which the E8 passes after crossing the border, is predominantly characterized by meadows and wide fields.
The town of Kleve is visible from afar due to the former castle of the Dukes of Kleve on a hill. Passing the moated castle of Moyland, with a large collection of artworks by Josef Beuys, the route leads to Kalkar.
The townscape of Xanten on the Lower Rhine, founded by the Romans in 15 BC, is now dominated by the Gothic cathedral of St. Victor. The next towns are Alpen, Rheurdt and Hinsbeck (town of Nettetal) on the Nette. In this slightly undulating landscape, the European Long-Distance Trail very often follows asphalted field paths. At Kaldenkirchen, the E8 comes to the Dutch border again. The route leads through the German-Dutch Maas-Schwalm-Nette Nature Park to Wassenburg and Heinsberg. The small towns of Geilenkirchen and Herzogenrath are touched on the way to Aachen.
Aachen, the westernmost city in Germany, is historically one of the most important cities on the Old Continent. From the city of Charlemagne, where more than 30 German kings were crowned over a period of 600 years, the long-distance trail climbs up into the northern foothills of the Eifel.
The route leads through the Hürtgenwald, which was cruelly fought over during the Second World War and where thousands of soldiers (Americans and Germans) lost their lives. In the village of Schmidt, you have a magnificent view of the Eifel National Park and the Eifel Seenplatte.
Along the shore paths of the Rurtalsperre to the small pilgrimage town Heimbach, then through lonely Eifel forests and past former Mariawald Abbey, the route continues via scenic mountain paths to Satzvey and Bad Münstereifel in the valley of the Erft River. From the valley, a long climb leads into the surrounding forests and arrives on the plateau at Effelsberg with the world’s largest radio telescope. In the Kottenforst Ville nature park that follows, the actual Eifel is then already left behind. It is not far from Rheinbach to Bad Godesberg on the Rhine.
Through the Drachenfelser-Ländchen to the south of the city, the long-distance trail reaches the Rhine. The next stops on the way south are Remagen, Sinzig, where the Ahr is crossed, Bad Breisig and Brohl-Lützingen at the exit of the Brohl Valley. The ascent from the Brohl Valley to the Celtic Fliehburg high above the Rhine is reminiscent of alpine trails. The long descent to Andernach on the Rhine begins at the Hochkreuz. The subsequent stage to Koblenz leads through the orchards that are very common in this area. In Güls, the route crosses the Moselle to Koblenz to the Deutsches Eck with the mouth of the Moselle into the Rhine.
From the banks of the Rhine, the E8 climbs to the Kühkopf. At the old Roman temple of Mercury, the long-distance trail is finally in Hunsrück. Behind Waldesch, there is a slow descent to Boppard am Rhein. Once again, the route leads in a wide arc away from the Rhine into the Hunsrück. It is not until Oberwesel that the river comes into view again. Immediately, the route climbs again to the heights of the Rhine. Until Stromberg, the route remains in the forests of the surrounding mountains. In Wallhausen, the E8 crosses the vineyards of the surrounding region. At the Nahe, the route changes to the south. The new destination is the Donnersberg in the Palatinate. In the Palatinate, the E8 divides into a northern and a southern variant. Both routes reunite in Tauberbischofsheim to form a main route.
The northern route leads from the Palatinate through the vineyards to Worms on the Rhine. From the Rhine, the trail climbs up into the Odenwald in Auerbach an der Bergstraße. In Lautertal-Reichenbach, the E1 (Sweden – Italy) crosses the path of the E8. Together with the Hessenweg 7, it goes through the forests of the northern Odenwald to Michelstadt. Now the route turns north again. In Obernburg am Main, the Odenwald is left behind. As it continues to Miltenberg and on to Wertheim, the European Long-Distance Trail follows the course of the Main. From the confluence of the Tauber and the Main, the route then leads to Tauberbischofsheim.
The southern section of the E8 from the Donnersberg initially remains in the Palatinate Forest. In Edenkoben, this low mountain range landscape is then left behind. This variant also passes through vineyards – to Speyer on the left bank of the Rhine. Past the cathedral, which houses eight Salian imperial and royal tombs in its crypt, you leave the old imperial city via the Rhine. The next destination is the university town of Heidelberg on the Neckar. Via Schlierbach am Neckar, where the E1 crosses, the route continues through the southern Odenwald to Tauberbischofsheim.
Up to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the wide Tauber Valley sets the course. The route continues to Dinkelsbühl and over the Hahnenkamm into the Altmühl Valley. Along the Altmühl, the route takes you along riverside paths and panoramic trails to Eichstätt with its Catholic University. Then through Köschinger Forst to Kelheim on the Danube. The patrician houses and churches characterize the cityscape of Regensburg on the Danube. In Wörth, the southern foothills of the Bavarian Forest are reached. Up to the border town of Passau, the E8 follows the numerous forest paths of this region. From here it is not far to the border crossing to Austria.
Starting Point
At the border to Netherland close Nijmegen
End Point
At the border to Austria close Oberkappel
Which cities and towns does the E-path pass through?
Heinsberg, Aachen, Bad Münstereifel, Bonn, Koblenz, Bad Kreuznach, Worms, Erbach, Wertheim, Rothenburg, Crailsheim, Eichstätt, Regensburg, Passau
Length
Main route 1458 km
Alternative South route in Pfalz 300 km
Ground path of the E-path
Which trails does the E-path follow:
E8 and X – Wyler – Aachen
Verein Niederrhein
Jakobsweg – Aachen, Sandkaulbach/ Alexanderstraße – JH Colynshof Maria -Theresia-Allee Eifelverein
Krönungsweg – Aachen – Villiprott Schönewaldhaus
Eifelverein
Osteifelweg HWW1 – Villiprott Schönewaldhaus – crossing Bonn, Annabergerhof
Jakobsweg – crossing Bonn, Annabergerhof – Koblenz-Güls, Moselbrücke
Eifelverein
Koblenz – Niederhausen (Nahe)
Hundsrückverein
White cross on black – Niederhausen (Nahe) – Waldhaus Donnersberg
Pfälzerwald-Verein
Yellow square – HW18 Vier Länder Weg – Waldhaus Donnersberg – Am Kaiserturm Neunkirchner Höhe
Odenwaldklub
Red square – HW15 – Am Kaiserturm – Lindenfels
Odenwaldklub
Green diamond on white – HW22 – Lindenfels – Mossauer Höhe
Odenwaldklub
Yellow triangle on white – HW20 – Mossauer Höhe – Michelstadt
Odenwaldklub
Yellow square – HW18 Vier Länder Weg – Michelstadt – Vielbrunn
Odenwaldklub
Grünes L auf weiß – HW29 westl. Limesweg – Vielbrunn – Elsenfeld
Odenwaldklub
Red X on white – in Elsenfeld
Spessartbund
Mainwanderweg – Elsenfeld (Ortsrand) – Großheubach
Spessartbund
Red diagonal – Großheubach – Kirschfurt
Spessartbund
Fränk. Marienweg – Kirschfurt – Faulbach
Spessartbund
Red diagonal – Faulbach – Kreuzwertheim
Spessartbund
Heunweg – Kreuzwertheim – Brücke
Spessartbund
Mainwanderweg – Brücke – Wertheim
Main-Donau-Weg – Wertheim – Beckstein
Spessartbund
Main-Donau-Weg Beckstein – Rothenburg o.d.T
Schwäbischer Albverein
Main-Donau-Bodensee-Weg – Rothenburg – Crailsheim
Schwäbischer Albverein
Jagst Steig – Crailsheim – Wildenstein
Schwäbischer Albverein
E8 – Wildenstein – Dinkelsbühl
Fränkischer Albverein
Dr. Fritz-Linnert-Weg – Dinkelsbühl – Spielberg
Fränkischer Albverein
Main-Donau-Weg – Spielberg – Treuchtlingen
Naturpark Altmühltal
Altmühltal Panoramaweg – Treuchtlingen – Kipfenberg
Naturpark Altmühltal
Limesweg – Kipfenberg – Weltenburg
Bayerischer Waldverein
Jakobsweg – Weltenburg – Konzell
Bayerischer Waldverein
Goldsteig – Konzell – Riedelswald
Bayerischer Waldverein
div. signs – Riedelswald – Am Hirschstein
Bayerischer Waldverein
Main-Donau-Weg – Am Hirschenstein – Passau
Bayerischer Waldverein
E8 – Passau – Oberkappel
Bayerischer Waldverein
Publications and maps
Kompass has several maps that cover the route
Crossing other E-paths
Crossing E3 at Reinböllen
Crossing E1 at Bensheim and Heidelberg
Practical
Accommodations, supermarkets and train or bus stations can be found within a day’s distance
Gear
No specific gear required.
Links
References
Images on this page are published with the kind permission of Rolf Gerstendorf https://www.eldp8.de
Helmut Schuster