Campingpark Eifel

Gather the gang and head to one of the area’s wildlife parks – perhaps the nearby Eifel Zoo (10-minute drive) or Eifelpark Gondorf (half an hour), which has a collection of rides, play areas and shows to accompany the animal exhibits. Slightly further afield are Eagle and Wolf Park Kasselburg (35 minutes), set among 12th-century castle ruins, and Wildlife and Adventure Park Daun (45 minutes). Take a slightly different approach to animals at Skulpturenpark Kruft (15 minutes), a huge park packed with fountains, ponds and handmade metal sculptures of wildlife and insects, like herons, bees, dragonflies, butterflies and spiders (the family that run the place are fifth-generation blacksmiths, so they're happy to tell you a bit about how they craft their gorgeous works – and you can often buy pieces too if you'd like to recreate the look at home…) Learn about the world of brewing with tours and tastings at Bitburger Brewery (25 minutes), or find out more about the Eifel Mountain region with a visit to one of the area’s volcano museums – the aptly named Volcano Museum (45 minutes) is a good pick. For some history that’s easy on the eyes, try Vianden Castle (40 minutes), a spectacular building in the Romanesque style with Gothic trimmings. Standing 150 metres above the River Sûre, the medieval Bourscheid Castle (50 minutes) is impressive too, with its 11 watchtowers. If you’re in the mood for something a bit livelier, catch a race at the famed Nürburgring track, an hour away.