Heinrich Pützler

The water of the Eifel reveals a completely new perspective on the landscape of this mountain range. It was the force of tectonics that shaped it into a rugged terrain millions of years ago. Since the last Ice Age, the shaping forces of water have acted on the Eifel due to increasing precipitation, carving deep valleys of streams and rivers. In the meantime, volcanism has perforated the Eifel, leaving behind volcanic cones and maars formed by steam explosions, which filled their remaining craters with water. It is no coincidence that the Eifel poet Clara Viebig referred to these maars as "the eyes of the Eifel." However, volcanism remains active. Its characteristics include gas emissions, visible as bubble-forming mofettes in the maars, as well as mineral springs and geysers, including the Andernach Geyser, the highest cold-water geyser in the world. Lastly, it was humans who, by creating reservoirs, gave the landscape a distinctive appearance with many new recreational opportunities. Today, the water-influenced natural and cultural landscape of the Eifel offers diverse impressions that are worth experiencing. This illustrated book aims to open the reader's eyes to the beauties of the Eifel.