Wasserfall Dreimühlen

Dreimühlen Waterfall

Useful Information

Location:	1 km south of Ahhütte, near Nohn, near Gerolstein. Parking at L68 south of Nohn, short hike through Nohner Mühle 1 km/15 minutes. (50.3248234, 6.7690162)
Open:	no restrictions. [2026]
Fee:	free. [2026]
Classification:	Growing Rock Tufa Deposits
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Wilhem Meyer (1983): Geologischer Wanderführer der Eifel, Franckh-Kosmos-Verl. Stuttg. 1983
Address:
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History

1910	created with the construction of the railroad.
1938	declared a Naturdenkmal (Natural Monument).

Description

The algae and moss are responsible for the limestone precipitation by consuming the carbon dioxide.

A small primary cave formed by irregular growing tufa.

In the Ahbachtal (Ahbach valley) an extraordinary sight is to find, which does not seem very special at the first glimps. A rather small waterfall named Dreimühlen Waterfall or sometimes Nohner Wasserfall, falling down a 12 m long and 5 m high limestone cliff. What looks really natural and not special at all is an extraordinary technical monument. It does not look artificial, and the fact that it was declared a natural monument more than 70 years ago confuses the whole story even more. It definitely is an artificial waterfall, constructed together with the railroad line in the year 1910. Numerous brooks and two rivulets where united and channelled around the dam and the tracks, to protect the railroad.

But let’s start at the beginning. The limestone of this area, the Kalkeifel (limestone Eifel) is karstified, although there are almost no known caves. The solution of limestone makes the water hard and deposit a lot of limestone around the springs of the area. This limestone is called tufa because of its numerous holes, or sometimes travertine. The carbon dioxide in the water vanishes into the air or is consumed by the algae and moss growing in the water. Thus, the limestone is deposited and forms crusts which cover the plants in the water. The plants die and rot, and the typical holes in the tufa remain. There is a huge layer of tufa in the Ahbachtal, where water springs along the slope over some distance. The nearby ruined castle Dreimühlen was built on top of this tufa hill.

When the railroad was built, it was necessary to protect the dam from the water, which could cause damages by flooding or freezing. All springs were subsumed by a chanel and lead across the dam through an adit and into the Ahbach. At one point there was an also artificial drop, the water was falling down. Where the water flows faster, the surface becomes bigger, the amount of carbon dioxid vanishing into the air increases and also the amount of deposited limestone. And soon the wall was covered by a continually growing deposit of tufa, which gave it an absolutely natural look. In 1938, it was declared a Naturdenkmal (natural monument) as the deposition of the limestone definitely is a natural process, even if the step is artificial.

Such waterfalls and their growing tufa are typical for limestone karst areas. But the artificial reason for the process and the extreme speed of a geologic process make it special.

Wasserfall Dreimühlen Gallery