Vogelsang International Place

Cologne & Northern Rhineland


In the middle of the serene Eifel National Park looms a hulking modern castle with a dark history. Ordensburg Vogelsang was built by the Nazis as a party elite leadership training college and is one of the largest remaining Third Reich buildings. In 2006 it was developed into an international centre of tolerance and peace. The spanking new visitors centre has two excellent exhibits on the compound's Nazi-era period and on the natural history of the Eifel National Park.

After WWII Vogelsang was used as a military training site by the Belgian army. You're free to explore the grounds on your own or to join a guided tour (in German). Don't miss climbing up the tower to take in the immense size of the complex and how it fits into the idyllic surrounds.

To get there by public transport, take a train to Kall or Simmerath, which will be met by the Eifel National Park shuttle SB62 or SB63, respectively. Both go straight to Vogelsang. See www.vrsinfo.de for timings.

Transportation

  • bus: SB82, SB63 Vogelsang IP Forum

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cologne & Northern Rhineland attractions

1. Eifel National Park

0.04 MILES

Wild cats, beavers, kingfishers, bats and owls are just some of the critters you might spot in Eifel National Park, about 20km east of the border with…

2. Botrange Nature Centre

16.64 MILES

A possible starting point for hikes, this impressive information centre 200m west of the Eupen–Bütenbach road has a big hooded fire hearth, a cafe serving…

3. Signal de Botrange

16.7 MILES

Signal de Botrange, 5km north of Ovifat, is Belgium’s highest point, though at 694m that's not saying much. From the road, the only eye-catching feature…

4. Château de Reinhardstein

17.81 MILES

The very picturesque Château de Reinhardstein was built in 1354 and restored to archetypal fortress appearance in 1969. Entry is by 75-minute guided tours…

5. Parliament

17.96 MILES

Since 2013 the parliament for Belgium's German-speaking region has occupied a heavily refurbished former sanatorium building, originally dating from 1918…

6. Pfarrkirche Sankt Nikolaus

18.54 MILES

The 1726 church of St Nicholas is Eupen's visual centrepiece, thanks to iconic twin spires with copper cladding that were added in an 1898 makeover. The…

7. IKOB

18.58 MILES

It's worth checking the exhibition schedule to see what's showing at this forward-thinking little museum of contemporary art. It's tucked incongruously…

8. Suermondt Ludwig Museum

20.17 MILES

The Suermondt Ludwig Museum is especially proud of its medieval sculpture but also has fine works by Cranach, Dürer, Macke, Dix and other masters. An…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "germany/the-ahr-valley-the-eifel/attractions/vogelsang-international-place/a/poi-sig/1205494/1340208",
      "destination": "Cologne-&-Northern-Rhineland",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Germany",
      "region": "Cologne-&-Northern-Rhineland",
      "position": "superzone"
    }