Geopark Vulkaneifel

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Mürmes The Maar of the Electors

Mürmes is located in the nature reserve of the same name and is an oval fen with four meter thick layers of peat. Rare plants with evocative names grow on its surface, such as the narrow-leaved cotton grass, the round-leaved sundew, the hairy water fennel, the ivy-leaved buttercup and the spotted orchid.

Geology

The maar forms the SE of the moor area and has a radius of 150 meters. The NW part is called Mürbesweyer or Mittelweiher. Smaller tephra deposits can be found in the SW and NE, the main eruption occurred in the NW/highway direction and can be detected there. The Maart funnel lies largely in the Lower Devonian, gray-green sandstones and siltstones - partly quartzite - of the Reudelsterz layers, surrounded by the gray siltstones, quartzitic sandstones and shales of the Eckfeld layers.

Special features

With the nearby Sangweiher and the Jungferweiher, it is an important resting place for bird life. Around 1400, the Electors of Trier created three fish ponds in this area, with the Mürmes Maar being used as the highest pond. In the period from 1800 to 1950, the local population was able to dig peat because the dam was destroyed and the water was draining away. The 43 hectare nature reserve has been protected since 1978. 22 hectares belong to NABU Daun, the Vulkaneifel district owns 21 hectares. Since then, the moor has been re-wetted in a controlled manner by a new outflow barrier and thus renatured.

Location

Highlights nearby

• Sangweiher
• Schalkenmehrener Maar
• Schalkenmehren Natural Outdoor Swimming Pool
• Home Weaving Museum
• Hoher List Observatory
• Pulvermaar
• Pundermaar Natural Outdoor Swimming Pool
• Brockscheid Bell Foundry
• Demerather Drees
• Juniper Area Demerath

Directions & Parking