Rocks & Roses Gerolstein

CODE:IBG 24

Work: The beautiful town of Gerolstein is located in the middle of the UNESCO Geo Nature Park Vulkaneifel. To make it even more attractive for visitors and tourists, the ascent from the market square to the Löwenburg castle ruins is to be redesigned. Together with local volunteers you will work on this steep footpath. Concrete tasks will be: • Plant roses, as these were historically present there
• Plant marguerites, as the path leads through the Margaret's Gate of the historic city wall. • Other landscaping activities to make the slope attractive and the transition between the town and the castle hill more smoothly.
• Construction of wooden benches for a viewing point.
• Maintenance of the metal railings.
• Set up information boards about the history of the path, As local volunteers are still collecting ideas, these tasks might slightly change.

Accomodation and food: You will be staying in a village community centre in one of the suburbs of Gerolstein. There is a kitchen, showers and enough space for sleeping, eating and chilling. Please make sure to bring a sleeping bag and a pillow if needed. The group of volunteers will be responsible for meal preparation, which includes grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning up afterward. Food will be purchased with the camp budget and tasks will be distributed during the first days to ensure everyone participates.

Location and leisure: Gerolstein is a town with around 8.000 inhabitants located in the “Volcanic Eifel”, a region famous for its dormant volcanoes an recognized as Geo & Nature Park by UNESCO. The small town is situated in the beautiful valley of the river Kyll and surrounded by dolomite rocks. The striking rock formation is known worldwide As a result of the volcanic history there are countless mineral springs in the region and, in Germany the name ‘Gerolstein’ is immediately associated with mineral water. In addition to the mineral springs, there are also numerous historic crater lakes. The Eifel is a low mountain range and a paradise for nature lovers. Many people come here to hike, cycle or experience nature. The town of Gerolstein offers you everything you need for a pleasant stay: Bars, shops, swimming pool, museums and other attractions.

Project hosted by:

For the first time, Gerolstein town council is inviting international volunteers and cooperates with IBG. To make the small town even more attractive for visitors and tourists, the ascent from the market square through a gate in the historic city wall (Margaret’s Gate) to the Löwenburg castle ruins is to be redesigned. This steep footpath is part of both the historic town tour and the well-known long-distance hiking trail ‘Eifelsteig’. In addition to the work project, exchanges and encounters with locals are also important. Various institutions and associations are involved in the project (schools, volunteer fire brigade, hiking club, local heritage association, etc.). This guarantees that the two weeks will be intense, exciting and fun.

Directions to meeting point
You should try to arrive at Gerolstein train station between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Oct 5th. You can check for connections from anywhere to Gerolstein on www.bahn.com/en.
Train station: Gerolstein
Suitable international bus stops: Cologne, Trier.
Most convenient airports: Cologne (CGN) or Luxemburg (LUX)