Irrel

Irrel was a former Verbandsgemeinde ("collective municipality") in the district Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde was in Irrel. On 1 July 2014 it merged into the new Verbandsgemeinde Südeifel.The Verbandsgemeinde Irrel consisted of the following Ortsgemeinden ("local municipalities"):

The Devil's Gorge or Teufelsschlucht is located on the eastern edge of the Ferschweiler Plateau within the South Eifel Nature Park in the vicinity of Irrel. It was formed towards the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago as the result of one or more rock collapses. The cause of this event was probably a combination of the geological and climatic circumstances. The heavily fissured, more or less porous, rock strata of the so-called Luxembourg Sandstone (geologically part of the Lower Jurassic or German Lias) are laid over keuper beds that tend towards being impervious. As weathering progresses, the structure becomes unstable as a result of the undercutting of the sandstone base. Towards the end of the last glaciation period this undercutting, in combination with extensive frost shattering, reached the point where it caused the aforementioned rock collapse. Today numerous boulders on the slopes of the Ferschweiler Plateau bear witness to the major rock displacements of this period. The Devil's Gorge is a rock fissure between about 1 and 5 metres wide and is a direct consequence of the rock collapse. With its bizarre landscape, steep rock faces, narrow gorges and fissures, the Devil's Gorge is a popular attraction for tourists and the start point for other walks in the vicinity.

The Prümerburg is a ruined hill castle on a roughly 30-metre-high lias-sandstone rock on the upper edge of the valley of the Prüm in the municipality of Prümzurlay in the county of Bitburg-Prüm in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Minden is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.

Niederweis is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.

Alsdorf is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.

Prümzurlay is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany. In 1960, the first bungalow holiday village in Germany was built near the ruins of the Prümerburg and is now named after the castle.

Menningen is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.

Ernzen is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.

Steinheim (Luxembourgish: Steenem) is a town in the commune of Rosport, in eastern Luxembourg. As of 2005, the town has a population of 532.

Echternacherbrück is a German municipality located on the Sauer river opposite the Luxembourgish town of Echternach. It is part of the district Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate. It includes the district of Fölkenbach. One of its main places of interest is the "Liboriuskapelle", a chapel located on the slopes of the Ferschweiler plateau.

The Abbey of Echternach is a Benedictine monastery in the town of Echternach, in eastern Luxembourg. The abbey was founded in the 7th century by St Willibrord, the patron saint of Luxembourg. For three hundred years, it benefited from the patronage of a succession of rulers, and was the most powerful institution in Luxembourg. The abbey is currently a popular tourist attraction mostly on account of an annual dancing procession that is held every Whit Tuesday. Tens of thousands of tourists, day-trippers, pilgrims, and clergy visit Echternach to witness or participate in the traditional ceremony.