Kell between hiking trails and pilgrimage history

Kell combines a plateau between two valleys with a distinctive hiking trail and a living pilgrimage tradition. The village lies at around 260 m above sea level between the Brohl Valley and Pönterbach Valley. This offers several options for planning your trip: explore the landscape and the Traumpfad trail, or learn about the history of St. Lubentius and the former monastery in Tönisstein.

Hiking around Kell

The Höhlen- und Schluchtensteig Traumpfad is an approximately 12.5 km circular hike around Kell. Highlights along the trail include large, walk-through trass caves and the rustic Wolfsschlucht gorge with a waterfall. The route combines a longer hike with views of the landscape shaped by trass. If you want to include these highlights in your day’s plans, be sure to check the trail’s current status.

According to the status on 2 July 2026, the Höhlen- und Schluchtensteig was only partially accessible because the Wolfsschlucht gorge was closed until further notice due to an acute risk of landslides. Check the latest information before setting out. This lets you adapt your plans to actual trail conditions without assuming that the closed gorge is passable.

Another hiking option is the annual Kell Winter Hiking Day. It starts at the Bürgerhaus in Kell, Pöntertalstraße 38, and follows a different route each year through the hilly landscape between the Brohl Valley, the Rhine and Lake Laach. Unlike the Traumpfad, it does not follow a fixed circular route, so check the route and date of that year’s Winter Hiking Day in advance.

St. Lubentius and the history of Tönisstein

The Catholic parish church of St. Lubentius in Kell was built between 1902 and 1905 as a two-aisled Neo-Gothic church. Pilgrimage is also part of local tradition: it still takes place on the so-called Friday of Sorrows, the Friday before Palm Sunday. This annual event gives the church a special place in the yearly life of Kell.

The history of the former Carmelite monastery of St. Anthony in Tönisstein is also connected with the area. The ruins are in Bad Tönisstein, a residential area within the Kell district of Andernach. The monastery was built between 1465 and 1495 and remained in use until secularisation at the beginning of the 19th century. According to legend, in 1388 shepherds from Kell found a miraculous image there in a burning thorn bush. The pilgrimages that followed led to the founding of the Carmelite monastery in 1465. Later, the miraculous image and parts of the monastery’s furnishings were transferred to Kell’s parish church. The pilgrimage tradition, monastery history and present-day church building can thus be seen as distinct chapters in the history of the area.

More to explore in the wider destination of Andernach

The wider destination of Andernach offers other distinct experiences. The Geyser Expedition at the Geyser Museum Andernach takes visitors through six museum areas featuring exhibits and interactive learning stations about geysers, volcanoes and geoscientific processes. The Geyser Andernach can only be reached aboard the geyser boat “MS Namedy”, which departs from the Andernach Rhine promenade. As transport arrangements are subject to seasonal and operational changes, check the operator’s latest information before making plans.

Andernach’s “Edible City” uses public green spaces to grow vegetables, fruit, berries, espalier trees and culinary herbs; visitors are welcome to pick the produce. The specific plantings may vary with the seasons. Together, the museum and geyser, this concept offers a different focus from Kell’s hiking trails and church and monastery history.

Plan your stay around your interests

When looking for a holiday apartment in Kell, you can first consider whether hiking, pilgrimage, or the history of St. Lubentius and Tönisstein should shape your stay. The annual Winter Hiking Day offers a different kind of planning option from the approximately 12.5 km Traumpfad, whose current status should be checked before you hike. If you also want to explore the wider destination of Andernach, you can add the museum, geyser and “Edible City” to your plans. This way, your choice of location can reflect the experiences that matter to you on your trip.

Discover more destinations

Nickenich, Kürrenberg, Nörtershausen, Bendorf, Kobern-Gondorf, Rüber, Polch, Ochtendung

Go to the wider travel overview: Mayen-Koblenz.