Andernach Geyser: the tallest cold-water geyser in the world

The history and location of the geyser

The history of the Andernach geyser is shorter than you might expect. The first observations of rising CO2 bubbles were only made around 1900. The first borehole was sunk in 1903, drilled 343 metres deep to extract carbon dioxide for the production of mineral water. The drilling sent the geyser 40 metres into the air. The mineral water it produced was named Namedyer Sprudel, because the geyser stood on a peninsula in the Rhine called Namedyer Werth. Over the years, however, the site suffered a good deal of damage and it was closed in 1957. A second borehole followed in 1955 and a third in 2001. It was only with the opening of the Geysir Andernach visitor centre in May 2009 that the geyser became fully accessible to visitors. On a pre-booked expedition, a ferry takes you out to it, and you can see this magnificent natural spectacle for yourself.

With a jet reaching up to 60 metres, the Andernach geyser is considered the tallest cold-water geyser on earth. To experience this wonderful natural spectacle live, spend your next holiday at the Waldsee Rieden, where our exceptional holiday homes in the Eifel make the ideal base.

What to know about the Andernach geyser

The expedition begins at the Geysir Andernach visitor centre, where the museum tells you all about what goes on inside the slate cavern, about the drilling and much more besides. It is presented at hands-on stations that will interest far more than just geologists. The geyser is driven by naturally occurring carbon dioxide gas: shake a bottle of mineral water and you have the same effect in miniature. Once the theory is done, the second part of the expedition begins — the crossing by ferry over the Rhine to the geyser. The world’s tallest cold-water geyser shoots up to 60 metres into the air as a fountain right in front of you. The eruption lasts about 15 minutes and happens roughly every two hours.

Volcanoes, maars and lakes in the Eifel: more days out worth making

There are plenty of other rewarding days out to discover around the Andernach geyser. The Laacher See in the Osteifel lies right beside Maria Laach Abbey, and the glorious lake landscape of this volcano invites you to walk, swim and sail. Several of the maars of the Eifel — volcanic crater lakes — are close to the Eifel holiday homes at the Waldsee Rieden as well, among them the Gemündener Maar, the Schalkenmehrener Maar and the Weinfelder Maar. Those are just 3 of around 70 maars in this region. Walkers get their money’s worth here, and dog owners and their four-legged friends feel particularly at home in the area.

The Rhine and the Moselle close by

Besides the wooded lake country of the Eifel, the valleys of the Rhine and the Moselle offer wonderful landscapes for walking, cycling and unwinding. Along the way you will come across impressive natural monuments. Many walking trails lead through stream valleys, across vineyards and up to breathtaking steep slopes. The impressions you take home from them stay with you for a long time, and the sense of relaxation is second to none.

What else there is to discover

The Eifel has many more places worth seeing. Here is a small selection to work into your holiday plans:

• The city of Koblenz with its well-known Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
• Cochem with its enchanting Cochem Castle — a real magnet for visitors
• The “gateway to the Eifel” — the small and charming town of Mayen with the Genovevaburg, the Deutsches Schieferbergwerk slate mine, the Eifelmuseum and much more
• The picturesque villages of Monreal (a well-known TV filming location) and Bernkastel-Kues on the Moselle, with their narrow, winding lanes
• Bürresheim Castle, the fairytale castle also known from TV films and fairy tales
• The highest mountain in the Eifel, the Hohe Acht
• The world-famous Nürburgring
• The Eifelturm in Boos with its magnificent panoramic views as far as Cologne
• The Vulkan Brauerei in Mendig with the deepest beer cellar in the world, or the world-famous Bitburger Brewery
• The Geierlay suspension bridge for the adventurous

Days out with children

• Tollipark in Mayen — a superb outdoor and indoor playground in one
• Klotten Wildlife and Adventure Park
• Daun Wildlife Park

The Andernach geyser is the tallest cold-water geyser on earth. The water temperature is less than 16 degrees Celsius.

The only thing a visit to the geyser puts at risk is your camera, because the spray carries that far.

The Andernach geyser is active every 90 to 240 minutes. Each eruption lasts about 15 minutes.