Urfttalsperre
Schleiden
The Urft Dam is the oldest dam in the Eifel region and is located in the heart of the Eifel National Park. At the time, the Urft Dam was planned as the largest structure in Europe. Construction of the 266-meter-long wall made of quarry stone began in 1899—and in May 1905, the dam was filled with water for the first time. In addition to flood control and power generation, the goal of this hydraulic engineering project was to supply the region with drinking water. With a length of 12 km, a width of up to 1 km, and a maximum depth of 52 m, Lake Urft has a capacity of 45.5 million cubic meters.
Located directly at the Urft Dam is the “Eifel-Blick Urft Dam,” which offers a panoramic view of Lake Urft and Lake Obersee.
The Urft Dam is situated along various hiking trails (Eifelsteig and Wasserlandroute) and the RurUfer Bike Path. You can also reach the dam from Einruhr and Rurberg via the Rursee boat tour . A restaurant right on the dam invites you to take a break.
The Urft Dam cannot be reached by car.
From Gemünd, a regular shuttle bus service runs via Wolfgarten to the vicinity of the dam (Haftenbach stop) on Saturdays and Sundays from May through October. Bicycles are allowed on the bus.
