Manderscheid has two castles facing each other across a gorge, and the story of how they came to be there is a classic of medieval feuding. The Oberburg and the Niederburg stand on opposite ridges above the loops of the Lieser river, a hundred metres or so apart, and they were built by rival branches of the same family, who spent several centuries arguing about who owned what. Both are now ruins, atmospheric in the true sense, with broken towers and arches overlooking a deep wooded valley, and a short footpath leads between them. Of the two, the Niederburg is the more complete.
The Lieser is the real star of the landscape. It winds through the valley in a series of tight loops, almost closing back on itself, and the gorge it has cut is steep and thickly wooded, with outcrops of dark rock above the water. On a clear morning the river is the colour of tea, and the hillside is full of birdsong. In the town above, a small spa tradition survives, and the main street has several cafés and a Kneipp pool in the woods, a place where you wade through cold water to get the circulation going.
The road down into the valley and up the other side is one of the better short pieces of riding in the Eifel. Tight bends, blind corners and a fair gradient make for a lively few minutes, and the surface is generally good, though shaded sections hold damp and leaves collect in autumn. Traffic is light on weekdays, and heavy on summer weekends, when riders and walkers fill the lay-bys. Use the pull-offs to look at the castles, and keep your eyes on the road in between.
Manderscheid is a small town of around a thousand people, so services are limited to a couple of shops, a bakery and a few inns and cafés. For proper fuel stations and supermarkets, the nearest is Daun, about twelve kilometres away, and Wittlich, to the south, is larger still. Fill up before you come. A pot of coffee on a terrace with a view of the castle ruins is the right way to spend half an hour, and if you have time, take the footpath down to the river and back, which is a short but steep walk. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with fresh green or gold.