The fourth and final stage of the Wilderness Trail is ideal for a day hike: from the destination of Zerkall, the train runs regularly back towards Heimbach. Along the way, songbirds such as nightingales and pied flycatchers greet you and invite you to enjoy a concert in the great outdoors here in the north of the Eifel National Park. In contrast, the oak trees in the Hetzinger Forest rise majestically and point the way with their gnarled branches. In the Schliebach Valley, spring flowers are in full bloom and the cows graze calmly on the lush meadows.

Tips for a lazy day in Hürtgenwald-Zerkall

• Take a kayak or canoe trip from Heimbach to Zerkall on the Rur (possible from July 15 to February 28).
• Visit the Zerkall National Park information point.
• Visit the National Park Gate in Nideggen. Here, the "treasure trove of nature" awaits you in a barrier-free, multilingual exhibition.
• Visit Nideggen Castle.
• Visit the "Rur and Rock" exhibition at Nideggen-Brück railroad station.