Basalt Path Asbach (A1) - Experience basalt mining and railway history

Description

The Basalt Path is a varied circular hiking trail that begins at Marktstraße in Asbach. Parking and public transport connections are available there. The route first leads to the former station with the current Landscape and Railway Museum, where the history of the Bröhltal Railway comes alive.

Then you walk over the old railway embankment through the Asbach valley with its wet meadows to the former "Bennau Tal" station and along the Wahler Bach past old basalt quarries to Buchholz. From there you go through the "Barger Heck" forest and over the former Mückenfeldchen basalt quarry back to Asbach.

The path impressively connects nature, industrial history, and railway romance.

Approach

The marketplace and the parish church in Asbach are located in the village center.

Public transport

There is good access to the local public transport (lines SB51, SB52) at the marketplace in Asbach

Parking

There are plenty of parking spaces at the marketplace in 53567 Asbach (free of charge)

Directions

The Basalt Path begins at Marktstraße in Asbach. There are plenty of parking spaces here as well as all options for arriving and departing by public transport. From here, the path leads to the former Asbach train station, which today houses the Asbach Landscape and Railway Museum. The history of the Bröhltal Railway comes to life in the building. The route continues past a park with a pond to the embankment of the former Bröhltal Railway. The path now leads over the open valley of the Asbach with its extensive wet meadows to the former "Bennau Tal" station. From here, a track ran to the loading site of the Bennau basalt quarry. The hiking trail continues along the railway line next to the Wahler Bach, past the former basalt quarry Limberger Kopf to Buchholz. From there, it goes into the center of Buchholz. The route then passes the Buchholz mill, through the "Barger Heck" forest to the former Mückenfeldchen basalt quarry and back to the starting point in Asbach.

Safety instructions

• Wear sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate, functional clothing to protect you from cold and wet or heat and sun.
• Take enough fluids with you. There are not always places to stop for refreshments.
• Please wear suitable hiking boots on the path that give you sufficient grip even on slippery, steep, rocky, and uneven paths.
• If you feel certain sections of the route are impassable for you, you should avoid them. Especially in bad weather, natural paths can become muddy and slippery.
• Particularly in autumn, be aware that fallen leaves on the ground can cover unevenness, roots, stones, or holes in the path. You should expect such path impairments if you go hiking.
• Although the path is very well marked throughout, you should always carry a suitable hiking map for safety reasons.

Equipment

Hiking boots and weather-appropriate clothing are recommended

Tips

A visit to the Railway Museum in Asbach (only Sundays; check opening hours) is a must!

Destination

Marketplace

Starting Point

Marketplace