Day and circular hiking trails in the Westerwald

14 kilometres through the historiccultural landscape of the Augst bringme wonderful views and interesting sights. I startat the Neuhäusel-Ost hikers' car parkand reach the excellently marked premium trail. I head south alongmeadow paths in a southerly direction andenjoy the landscape. Natural paths lead through the floodplains of theof the Binnbach. There is a smallclimb before the forest. Then I hike up the Schlossberg to the accessibleSporkenburg ruins from the 11thfrom the 11th century. Thenthen descend along the Theilenbach stream to the L 329.I come across a farm track,I follow it in the direction of Arzbach across meadows and pastures. I satisfy my hunger in the old brewery. NowI climb up the Mühlberg, which I caneasier with the help of my trekkingeasier with my trekking poles. Wide views,including the watchtowers of theof the Limes, reward the effort. AtKadenbach there is a rest areawith a barbecue hut. The trail continues uphillto the "Maria in der Augst" chapel, which was only built in 1999/2000. Alast look at the surroundings andI walk back through the forestto the starting point.

The Brexbach Gorge Trail leads us from wide heights with distant views to the Brexbach Valley. Idyllic forests, bubbling waters and a constant change of scenery provide excitement along the way. Again and again we cross the track of the Brexbach Valley Railway and admire the venerable viaducts. And the Grenzau ruins crown the tour with a touch of medieval flair...

The Wäller Tour in the upper Westerwald offers an attractive landscape combined with historical and geological features and charming distant views. Sites of the Christian faith, which invite you to take a moment of inner reflection, also give the trail the name "Devotional Trail". The circular trail, awarded the quality trail Wanderbares Deutschland in the category "dream tour", leads around the Hohen Hahnscheid (433 m), which is located in the Westerwald on the border between Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse and is surrounded by the villages of Irmtraut, Gemünden, Langendernbach and Seck. There are 23 interesting stops with information boards along the 10.6 km long circular hiking trail. These boards invite you to read and, by means of a QR code, you can elicit even more interesting details.

A wonderful trail with undeniable recreational qualities is located northwest of Nomborn in the Eisenbach Valley. Forest and water provide a pleasant microclimate here, especially on hot days. After starting at the hiking parking lot of the Studentenmühle, the trail leads along the Eisenbach through shady woods to the "Bildches Eich". Here, a small forest chapel from 1963 and a hollowed oak tree with a statue of the Virgin Mary from 1830 await the hiker. Back along the Holbach, where two mills invite you to rest at the end of the circular path.

The GeoRoute "Basalt and Non-ferrous Metals" takes me on a search for traces of the mighty volcanic forces that once shaped the ridge above the Wiedtal valley. On the 8.8-kilometre-long, partly challenging hiking trail, which is certified as a "discovery tour", I come across many information points that tell of the formation of today's landscape with its basalt peaks such as the Bertenauer Kopf, as well as the history of the mining of ores and basalt. A highlight of my tour is the GeoTop of the Year 2021, the Rippelmarken, in the National GEOPARK Westerwald-Lahn-Taunus. The almost vertical rock face with the striking wave structures is a prime example of a fossilised seabed from the Devonian period and, for me, geology you can touch. Near the Bertenau head, I discover the small crater "Wolkenstein", which, together with Lake Manroth, gives me an idea of the efforts that were once made in the region to mine the volcanic rock. Non-ferrous metals (copper, lead, etc.) were once mined in the three mines Wilhelminensegen, Schiefer and Bertenauerkopf along the hiking trail.

Through the Burggarten and past the Landscape Museum, this path also leads along the old Jewish cemetery to the archaeological monuments near the former brickworks. The Hachenburger city forest is home to a wide variety of fascinating tree species. An ideal way to enjoy peace and space. There are fantastic views of Hachenburg and the surrounding heart of the Westerwald to discover. A walk through the Kneipp pool can also be part of the program. Before heading back through the Burggarten to the destination of the path, the historic city center of Hachenburg invites you to take a stroll and take a break at the Alter Markt with its golden lion.

My way starts at the parking lot of the Ulmbachtalsperre. Over the dam I walk along the lake into the forest. Soon I discover a geological peculiarity: A comb quartzite cliff - originated from the formerly pure sandy beaches of the Lower Carboniferous period. I follow the Ulmbach over meadow paths and reach the village center of Beilstein with the beautiful basalt castle church from the 17th century. On the left side you will see Beilstein Castle. Once a count's residence, the restored basalt building is now privately owned. My way leads me over the splashing Ulmbach to the BASALT-PARKours, which shows me the many ways of using the stone. On the route of the former Ulmtalbahn railroad, which has been converted into the Ulmtal cycle path, I hike back to the Ulmbach dam, where I can enjoy the idyllic resting places and viewpoints.

The circular tour starts at the hikers' car park in Marienthal. It goes up to the Sonnenberg with a resting place with a beautiful view. Immediately below, you can see the village of Ahlhausen, whose hilltop was once inhabited by Celts. Excavations here have proven the former existence of a refuge. One of the highlights of this adventure loop is the charming and alpine nature trail Weltende, which crosses one of the most beautiful sections of Kroppach Switzerland through untouched coppice woodland along the Nisterbogen in romantic silence. The Weltende trail is a path carved into the rock, where children used to have to walk to school in Stein-Wingert. In the vernacular, it is also referred to as the "end of the world". At Nassen, there is another magnificent view over hilly Kroppach Switzerland. In Marienthal, the pilgrimage church and the historically famous Franciscan monastery of Marienthal await. Legend has it that a shepherd often prayed in silent devotion before an image of Mary he had carved himself, and a first chapel was built for it around 1460. Several miraculous healings and resurrections from death were described, which led to a great pilgrimage and a church was built in 1494. A Franciscan monastery was founded in 1666. Retreats and educational events are still held here today. In addition, numerous pilgrims and processions also visit the place of grace. In Marienthal there are several places to stop for a leisurely end to the hike.