Family holidays in the Eifel: days out by age of child

Where you actually are here

Rieden lies in the Osteifel, in the district of Mayen-Koblenz, municipality of Mendig. This is the Laacher See volcanic region: a landscape of ancient craters, basalt quarries and tuff pits where the last major eruption was around 13,000 years ago.

That is not the same as the other Eifel regions that come up when you search:

• The Vulkaneifel district with its well-known maars (crater lakes) begins around 40 kilometres to the west. Daun is part of it.
• Eifel National Park is in North Rhine-Westphalia, a good 100 kilometres away. There is no such thing as a “Vulkaneifel National Park", even though some websites mention one.
• Neuwied is on the Rhine, Cochem and Klotten are on the Moselle. All three make rewarding days out, but none of them is in the Eifel.

For planning your holiday, one thing matters above all: the short distances are the real advantage of this corner of the Eifel. Six family days out lie within 15 kilometres.

The destinations at a glance

Sources: zooneuwied.de, tolli-park.de, wildpark-daun.de, klotti.de, dinopark-teufelsschlucht.de, reichsburg-cochem.de, lavadome.de, mayen.de. All details as of August 2026, subject to change, so do check before you visit.

One note that helps with the budget: these prices have risen sharply in recent years, in some cases by more than 40 per cent. If you go by figures from older travel articles, you will budget too little. In high season a family of four pays 99.00 € at Klotten for the online family ticket, and 69.60 € at Tollipark.

Right on the doorstep: the Riedener Waldsee

The lake covers four hectares, is eight metres deep at its deepest point and has been an officially designated bathing water since 2007. The state of Rhineland-Palatinate currently rates the water quality as “excellent", the best of four grades. Two bathing jetties lead into the water, and there are lawns, changing cubicles, toilets, a playground, a barbecue area, a kiosk and boat hire.

For many families this is the real reason to book here: a day with no car, no admission fee and no programme.

Swimming with young children: what you need to know first

These points belong here, honestly, because parents should know them before they travel and not first at the water’s edge:

• There is no lifeguard. The lake is not a public pool. Swimming is “at your own risk", and supervising children is entirely down to the parents. That is the most important sentence in this article.
• The swimming season runs from 1 June to 31 August. During that time the water quality is officially monitored. Outside the season the lake is accessible, but unsupervised and untested.
• Swimming is allowed only in the designated bathing area. The rest of the lake belongs to boats and anglers.
• Jumping into the water is not permitted, not even from the jetties.
• Visibility in the water is at times less than a metre. If you want to see your child in the water, you need to be close by. When the water is cloudy, brightly coloured swimwear or a buoyancy aid in a high-visibility colour helps.
• Dogs may not set foot in the bathing area, at any time of year.

These rules go back to a water-law order issued by the Mayen-Koblenz district authority on 13 May 2026. You will find all of it in detail in our article on swimming in the Riedener Waldsee.

None of this is an argument against a swimming holiday with children. It is only an argument against treating the lake like a supervised pool.

Within 15 kilometres: what works without a long drive

Tollipark Mayen is the place for children between about two and twelve. More than 40 attractions on 30,000 square metres, indoor and outdoor areas combined, which means a sudden shower does not end the day. All the attractions and the shows are included in the admission price. Two things are worth knowing: children pay more than adults here (19.90 € against 14.90 €), and the show programme only runs at weekends, on public holidays and during the school holidays. Outside the school holidays the park is closed from Monday to Wednesday, and the rides stop at 18:30 every day.

The Lava-Dome Mendig combines a volcano museum above ground with a guided tour of the lava cellars 30 metres below. For children from about five, the cellars are the real experience: dark, enormous and a constant 8 to 9 °C all year. Take a jacket, even in August. Children under 100 centimetres tall go in free.

The Schieferbergwerk Mayen slate mine is the second underground address: 16 metres below ground, 340 metres of galleries and just as consistently cool. It belongs to the Eifelmuseum in the Genovevaburg, so you can easily make half a day of it.

All three are so close that you can decide over breakfast whether to go.

The full day out: animals, rollercoasters, a castle

Neuwied Zoo is the most reliable choice for younger children: around 1,800 animals of more than 185 species on 13.5 hectares, plenty of room to run and playgrounds along the way. It is on the Rhine rather than in the Eifel, around 45 kilometres away. Open 9:00 to 18:00 in summer and until 17:00 in the winter months; last admission an hour before closing, and the animal houses do not open until 10:00. Parking costs 1.50 € an hour, up to a maximum of 5.00 € a day.

Klotten Wildlife and Adventure Park on the Moselle is the park for children who want rollercoasters. It is worth checking the height limits before you set off, or a child will end up standing at the barrier:

Source: klotti.de, as of August 2026. The family ticket for two adults and two children costs 99.00 €, but online only; at the ticket desk you pay individually. Children up to 14 get in free on their birthday. In the winter season (7 November 2026 to 10 January 2027) prices drop to 12.00 € for adults and 8.00 € for children, but only some of the attractions are running then.

Daun Wildlife Park in the Vulkaneifel district is the quieter alternative: 220 hectares, a car safari of almost nine kilometres through the deer enclosures, a six-hectare Barbary macaque valley and a summer toboggan run. It is one of the few places in the region where dogs are allowed in, which matters if you are travelling with one. The season runs from 15 March to 14 November, daily 10:00 to 18:00, with last admission at 17:00. One note for the car safari: you must not get out of the car in the wild boar enclosure.

Cochem Castle is on the Moselle and works with children from about six. The standard guided tour lasts around 40 minutes, which is on the long side for smaller children. There is, however, a separate children’s tour at 8.00 € per child, which has to be booked in advance.

Further away, but unbeatable for dinosaur-mad children

The Teufelsschlucht dinosaur park in Ernzen lies in the Südeifel, around 100 kilometres away, which makes it a full day rather than a half-day trip. For children in a dinosaur phase it is still the day out that stays with them longest: life-size models along a circular route, with the rock landscape of the Teufelsschlucht right next door. 2026 season: 13 March to 24 October daily 10:00 to 18:00, then until 17:00 up to 8 November, with last admission an hour before closing in each case.

Which day out for which age?

• Up to 3 years: the Waldsee, Neuwied Zoo, Tollipark (toddler area), Daun Wildlife Park. All without height restrictions, all manageable with a pushchair.
• 4 to 6 years: add Klotten (the smaller rides from 0.90 m), the dinosaur park and the Lava-Dome.
• From 7 years: add the mines underground, Cochem Castle and, at Klotten, the big rides from 1.20 m.
• From 10 years: walks such as the Waldseepfad Rieden start to appeal, see walking from the holiday park.

And what if it rains?

That is the question that comes before every booking. The short answer: within 15 kilometres you have two mines and a volcano museum, plus the covered part of Tollipark. A wet day costs you no holiday day here. The full list is in our article on the Eifel in the rain.

What to sort out before you book

School holiday dates, visitor’s tax for children, cots and high chairs, age limits: these planning questions come up whether you book in the Eifel or anywhere else in the state. That is why they are gathered in our article on holidays with children in Rhineland-Palatinate.

The three homes by the Waldsee, with children in mind

We let three holiday homes on the Sonnenterrasse above the lake. Susi has 82 square metres and room for two to four guests; Annika and Tommy each have 100 square metres, three bedrooms and two bathrooms for up to six people. For families with young children, three things matter most: we provide a cot and a high chair free of charge, twice over if you are travelling with two babies; babies stay free; and the terrace of each house is fenced, with a barbecue, a seating area and a hooded beach chair. It is around 150 metres to the water and about eight minutes on foot to the playground by the lake. Which house suits which family size is set out on our Holiday Homes page.

Two things need saying as well. The short walk changes nothing about what stands above: no lifeguard, no poolside, and supervising the children stays with you. And in Annika and Tommy a wooden staircase leads up to the first floor, where the third bedroom and the second bathroom are. If you are coming with a crawling baby, it is worth asking before you book what each house can offer for that.

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