The Mayener Grubenfeld
Northeast of Mayen is the Mayener Grubenfeld.
Up to the 20th century basalt lava was excavated here. The lava is around 200,000 years old and is a result of the eruption of the Bellerberg volcano, between Ettringen and Kottenheim. Archaeological digs have proved that the Romans used the basalt stone extracted here to manufacture their mill stones.
A circular route provides information about the Mayener Grubenfeld and tells the story of the oldest quarrying area in central Europe.
Sanctuary on the Katzenburg
In the later Roman times the people of Mayen built a fortress on the Katzenburg, a slate hilltop in the Nette valley, to which they could flee.
This is the largest of its type in the Rhine-Mosel region, measuring 1.2 hectares.
Excavations gives clues as to what it originally looked like. The top was strongly built. Here was a guard post. Beneath it was a plateau where the population of Mayen could gather. The fortification was surrounded by walls of slate and basalt, reinforced with two round guard towers.
 A reconstruction of a 70 meter long part of the wall, built on the old wall remnants, gives a good impression of the strength of this fortress.
If you visit the Katzenberg, you can walk along the battlements and view the lookout points. On the summit a construction has been erected to protect the excavation site. Fro here you can enjoy a panoramic view of the valley and surrounding countryside. | 
