Dreimühlen Waterfall 54578 Nohn
The Dreimühlen waterfall is probably the most famous waterfall in the Eifel. It was formed from lime deposits from three carbonate-rich source tributaries of the Ahbach.
The Dreimühlen waterfall between Nohn and Ahütte is a first-class geotourism destination. Crystal-clear water bubbles down to the depths over a sinter terrace covered in dense moss. Three carbonate springs feed the Ahbach, which has always flowed through the Hillesheim limestone basin as a genuine “natural product”.
A growing waterfall of lime & Moss
People helped create the waterfall: When a railway line was built between the Ahr and Jünkerath in 1912, the water from three springs was diverted and has since flowed over a high edge. A chemical process started because when you fall over this edge, carbon dioxide is released. What remains is calcium carbonate. It settles on the moss that grows in the wet and forms an increasingly thick crust. Twelve meters have now been accumulated and the crust continues to grow. The sinter terrace grows around ten centimeters per year.
The Dreimühlen waterfall is a natural monument and has been designated a national geotope.