Zeitreise Ahrtalbahn

AhrtalAR brings the history of the historic Ahr Valley Railway around Blankenheim to life.

At four stations along the former railway line, train conductor Heinrich Klinkhammer, a former conductor with the Royal Prussian Railway Administration, guides you through the region's railway history. Using augmented reality, he appears directly at each location and recounts stories about stations, bridges, railway mail, freight transport, technical infrastructure, and the transformation the railway brought to the Eifel region.

The app connects real-world locations with digital narratives, revealing the significance the Ahr Valley Railway once held for the economy, mobility, employment, postal services, and regional development.

Experience four historical stations:

• Ahrdorf
At the former loading station of the Linz AG Basalt Works, the focus is on the transport of Hoffeld basalt and the economic boom brought about by the railway.

• Dollendorf Station (Eifel)
Here, the focus is on station architecture, railway mail, new jobs, and the replacement of the stagecoach by the railway.

• Freilingen Viaduct

The largest bridge structure on the upper Ahr Valley Railway showcases the technical challenges of track construction, including tunnels, bridges, and numerous other engineering structures.

• Mülheim Loop
This station explains the complex route of the railway, with its embankments, cuttings, and bridges, as well as its use during World War II.

AhrtalAR is aimed at locals, visitors, school groups, cyclists, families, and anyone interested in the history of the Eifel region, historic railway lines, and regional heritage.

The app is a digital companion for excursions along the former Ahr Valley Railway, combining landscape, technological history, and augmented reality to create a vivid on-site experience.