At 675 metres the Hochkelberg is one of the ten highest mountains in the Vulkan Eifel

Vulkan Eifel

The Vulkan Eifel is a region in the Eifel Mountains in Germany, that is defined to a large extent by its volcanic geological history. Characteristic of the Vulkan Eifel are its typical explosion crater lakes or maars, and numerous other signs of volcanic activity such as volcanic tuffs, lava...

 in Germany. It is a former stratovolcano

Stratovolcano

A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...

, at the southern foot of which lies the Mosbrucher Weiher, an explosion crater lake or maar

Maar

A maar is a broad, low-relief volcanic crater that is caused by a phreatomagmatic eruption, an explosion caused by groundwater coming into contact with hot lava or magma. A maar characteristically fills with water to form a relatively shallow crater lake. The name comes from the local Moselle...

. Below the summit of the Hochkelberg is a transmission tower

Transmission tower

A transmission tower is a tall structure, usually a steel lattice tower, used to support an overhead power line. They are used in high-voltage AC and DC systems, and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes...

.

Originally the mountain which is visible today lay 200 metres below the surface. When the region was uplifted the outer layers were carried away leaving the hard basaltic core.

The slopes of the Hochkelberg are covered today with dense beech woods with a variety of species. The ruins of Roman

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....

buildings may also be seen here.