The
Schneifel is a range of low mountains, up to , in the western part of the
Eifel in
Germany, near the
Belgian border. It runs from
Brandscheid near
Prüm in a northeasterly direction to
Ormont. The name Schneifel has nothing to do with the
German words
Schnee (
snow) and
Eifel. It is derived from the former dialect of this region and means something like
Schneise ("swathe"). This swathe ran over the mountains. The term was "Germanised" during the
Prussian era and the term
Schnee-Eifel ("Snow Eifel") was born, albeit referring to a larger area.