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.