Vulkaneifel

For the mountainous natural region it is named after, see Vulkan Eifel.

Landkreis Vulkaneifel
—  District  —
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
Capital	Daun
Area
– Total	911.01 km2 (351.7 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2010)[1]
– Total	61,267
– Density	67.3/km2 (174.2/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
– Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Vehicle registration	DAU
Website	kreis-daun.de

Vulkaneifel is a district (Kreis) in the northwest of the state Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the least densely populated district in the state and the fourth most sparsely populated district on Germany. The administrative centre of the district is in Daun. Neighboring districts are Euskirchen (North Rhine-Westphalia), Ahrweiler, Mayen-Koblenz, Cochem-Zell, Bernkastel-Wittlich, and Bitburg-Prüm.

History

The district was created in 1815 when the Eifel became part of Prussia. As most of the local industries had their traditional markets in France, the district fell into a severe economic crisis. The construction of a railroad in the second half of the 19th century helped it to recover. The construction of the Nürburgring in 1927 was also an infrastructural project that helped the local economy. The district was enlarged significantly in 1970-71, when the districts Mayen and Prüm were dissolved and parts were added to the Daun district.

On January 1, 2007 the district Daun was renamed Vulkaneifel, the name of the landscape.

Geography

The district is located in the Eifel mountains, containing volcanic lakes called Maar. The largest river in the district is the Kyll.

The Vulkaneifel consists of three regions: Vulkanische Osteifel (municipalities of Brohltal, Vordereifel, Mendig, Pellenz), Vulkanische Hocheifel (municipalities of Adenau, Kelberg, Ulmen, and the village of Nohn), and Vulkanische Westeifel (remainder of the municipality of Hillesheim, and municipalities Obere Kyll, Gerolstein, Manderscheid, Daun).

Tourism

Places of interest in the Vulkaneifel include the maar lakes around Daun, and Manderscheid, as well as the caldera lake of Laacher See at the abbey of Maria Laach, which is the largest, and the youngest within the region. Hiking and cycling trails dot the region.

Museums in the Vulkaneifel include the Lava-Dome (the German volcanic museum) in Mendig, the Vulkanhaus in Strohn, and the Eifel-Vulkanmuseum in Daun.

The Vulkaneifel contains three geological parks (2004,45 km²), the Vulkanpark Brohltal/Laacher See, the Vulkanpark Osteifel, and the Vulkaneifel European Geopark.

Courtyard of the Castle of Lissingen

The Castle of Eltz and the Castle of Lissingen are well preserved castles in the Vulkaneifel.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms show the symbols of three territories which historically made up the district. In the left is the cross of Trier, the lion in the right represents the Counts of Blankenheim-Gerolstein. The escutcheon in the middle show the arms of the Counts of Daun.

Towns and municipalities

Verbandsgemeinden
1. Daun Betteldorf Bleckhausen Brockscheid Darscheid Daun1, 2 Demerath Deudesfeld Dockweiler Dreis-Brück Ellscheid Gefell Gillenfeld Hinterweiler Hörscheid Immerath Kirchweiler Kradenbach Mehren Meisburg Mückeln Nerdlen Niederstadtfeld Oberstadtfeld Sarmersbach Saxler Schalkenmehren Schönbach Schutz Steineberg Steiningen Strohn Strotzbüsch Udler Üdersdorf Utzerath Wallenborn Weidenbach Winkel	2. Gerolstein Berlingen Birresborn Densborn Duppach Gerolstein1, 2 Hohenfels-Essingen Kalenborn-Scheuern Kopp Mürlenbach Neroth Pelm Rockeskyll Salm 3. Hillesheim Basberg Berndorf Dohm-Lammersdorf Hillesheim1, 2 Kerpen Nohn Oberbettingen Oberehe-Stroheich Üxheim Walsdorf Wiesbaum	4. Kelberg Arbach Beinhausen Bereborn Berenbach Bodenbach Bongard Borler Boxberg Brücktal Drees Gelenberg Gunderath Höchstberg Horperath Hörschhausen Kaperich Katzwinkel Kelberg1 Kirsbach Kolverath Kötterichen Lirstal Mannebach Mosbruch Neichen Nitz Oberelz Reimerath Retterath Sassen Uersfeld Ueß Welcherath	5. Obere Kyll Birgel Esch Feusdorf Gönnersdorf Hallschlag Jünkerath1 Kerschenbach Lissendorf Ormont Reuth Scheid Schüller Stadtkyll Steffeln
1seat of the Verbandsgemeinde; 2town

References

1. ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden am 31.12.2010" (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz. 31 December 2010. http://www.statistik.rlp.de/fileadmin/dokumente/berichte/A1033_201022_hj_G.pdf. 

External links

• Official website (German)

Coordinates: 50°15′N 6°45′E / 50.25°N 6.75°E / 50.25; 6.75