EifelSchleife Kloster Schweinheim (City of Euskirchen) CLOSED DUE TO STORM DAMAGE

Hike past the Porta Coeli (Heaven's Gate) through the lower Steinbachtal and enjoy the view of the reservoir from the dam of the Steinbachtalsperre.

The Eifel loop Kloster Schweinheim leads around the former Cistercian nunnery Porta Coeli ("Heaven's Gate"), through the lower Steinbachtal, and over the dam of the Steinbachtalsperre reservoir. The former monastery lies below the dam of the Steinbachtalsperre. It was first officially mentioned in 1238. At the time, the monasteries aimed to missionize the local "pagan slaves". At the same time, they were meant to serve as model operations, e.g., in fruit and wine cultivation. The Schweinheim monastery financed itself through viticulture but also from fees which the mostly noble houses had to pay for admitting their daughters. At the beginning of the 18th century, the monastery was completely destroyed and later rebuilt. During secularization, the French dissolved the monastery in 1802 and put the property to secular use. Today, the monastery is a seminar house.