Andernach Geyser

First it bubbles, then it hisses, and suddenly a white column of water stands above the trees on the riverbank. The Andernach Geyser on the Namedyer Werth peninsula shoots its water 50 to 60 m into the air, making it the highest cold-water geyser in the world, with a Guinness World Records entry since 2008. Unlike in Iceland, nothing here is hot: the fountain is powered by carbon dioxide rising from deep below the volcanic Eifel.

History: from mineral spring to world record

In 1903 a 343 m borehole was drilled on the Namedyer Werth in search of carbon dioxide and mineral water, after gas bubbles were spotted in an old arm of the Rhine. The geyser erupted for the first time during drilling, reaching 40 m. It was bottled as “Namedyer Sprudel” and soon drew sightseers. The damaged installation was shut down in 1957, and the borehole was sealed in 1967 when the B9 road was built.

A new well was drilled in 2001, but the area had been a nature reserve since 1985. Only after a court case did the town and the environmental group BUND agree in 2005 that the geyser could erupt again under strict conditions. It has erupted regularly since 7 July 2006, and the world record followed in November 2008. The visitor centre on the riverbank, now called the Geysir Museum, opened in 2009.

How the geyser works

Groundwater saturated with carbon dioxide flows into a borehole about 350 m deep. At the bottom, the weight of the water column, around 35 bar, keeps the gas dissolved. As water rises, gas comes out of solution, the bubbles expand, push water out and lower the pressure further. This chain reaction speeds up until the whole column of water is blasted out. An eruption lasts about 15 minutes, after which the pipe slowly refills. It works just like a shaken bottle of fizzy water.

What you experience

• Geysir Museum: Sets, models and exhibits take you on a simulated journey 4,000 m underground and explain where the gas comes from.
• Boat trip: The MS Namedy takes you from the landing stage at the museum across the Rhine to the Namedyer Werth.
• Nature reserve: The peninsula has been protected since 1985 and can only be entered as part of the expedition. On the way to the geyser you walk through untouched nature that is home to rare species.
• The eruption: Reddish rocks surround the vent, and you watch the fountain from just a few metres away.

How a visit works

A visit is run as a “Geyser Expedition” lasting two and a half to three hours. You start at the museum at Konrad-Adenauer-Allee 40 and book your ticket for a specific boat departure; how long you spend in the museum beforehand is up to you. On windy days the fountain may be lower or drift sideways, so do not stand directly downwind.

Tickets and opening hours (as of October 2026)

• Season: 22 March to 31 October 2026, daily 09:00–17:00
• Boat departures: 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00; the 17:00 trip is dropped from 19 October. Museum start from 09:00, 11:30 and 13:30 respectively
• Admission: adults €21.50, reduced €17.50
• Family price (at least one adult with a child): adults €18, children up to 16 €12.50, children under 1 m free

The café and museum shop can be visited without a ticket. Dogs are not allowed in the museum or on the geyser site, except assistance dogs. The boat and the geyser area are step-free.

Getting there and parking

Andernach station has regular regional trains, and the museum is on the riverbank between the harbour and the Alter Krahnen, an old crane. If you are cycling the Rhine cycle route, you ride right past it. Drivers can use the paid car parks on Konrad-Adenauer-Allee (Parkplatz Geysir, Am Bollwerk) or the multi-storey car parks in the town centre. Leave time after the expedition for the old town with its Round Tower and the Alter Krahnen.