Circular hike on the Wied trail between Seelbach and Oberlahr

Description

From the original historic Raiffeisen house, take the designated + hiking trail down into the Wied valley. The railway tracks of the Holzbachtalbahn are now only used by freight trains. At the former railway tunnel in Döttelsfeld, I see that it was not always like this. Krupp narrow-gauge railway to Seifen, passenger rail traffic to Linz, and the Holzbachtalbahn suggest there used to be a lot of activity here during the ore mining period.

I enjoy the idyllic Wied valley with its natural structures and frequently find relics from the old railway era, overtaken by nature and overgrown with trees and bushes.

A mill channel over the Wied, the old Brucher mill, historic buildings in the idyllic village of Oberlahr, and the adit of the former mine "Silberwiese" arouse my curiosity about this region of the "Lahrer Herrlichkeit." Along the new "sound trail," take hiking trail 2 back to Flammersfeld, where at the beginning of town, a miniature Raiffeisen house awaits me.

Approach

Via the B 265 (Neuwied - Altenkirchen)

Public transport

With bus line 120, you can get from Altenkirchen station to Flammersfeld in just 20 minutes. The bus stop "Rathaus" is only a few meters from the starting point, and Raiffeisenstraße leads you to the Raiffeisen house (Raiffeisenstraße 11) within a few minutes.

A return trip is also possible halfway along the hiking route in Bürdenbach/Bruch using line 120.

From Neuwied, regional line 120 takes just under an hour to Flammersfeld.

You can find schedules at www.vrminfo.de

Parking

Free parking at the Flammersfeld village community center, Rheinstraße 44, 57632 Flammersfeld

Directions

From the parking lot at the Flammersfeld community center, walk through the garden of the Raiffeisen house and past the small half-timbered house where F.W. Raiffeisen lived and worked from 1848 to 1852. Many information boards tell me about his life and his cooperative idea. Now turn left along Raiffeisenstraße until the trail marker + (main hiking trail of the Westerwald Club) leads me over the street "Burgplatz" into Bahnhofstraße. If I were to follow this street, I would come to Seelbach, where there actually is a former train station. However, my + trail leads me out of town on a more beautiful path through fields, along hedges, and forest islands down to the Wied. I cross the river and the railway tracks, then turn right after a few meters onto the side path of the "Haupstraße" to meet the Wied trail after about 200 meters. (Those who want to walk a little longer can also follow the + trail a bit further to include the small loop of the Wied trail through Seyen.) I now follow the Wied trail to Oberlahr. Almost always within sight of the railway tracks of the Holzbachtal line, which crosses my path just before Döttelsfeld towards Puderbach.

From the parking lot at the Flammersfeld community center, walk through the garden of the Raiffeisen house and past the small half-timbered house where F.W. Raiffeisen lived and worked from 1848 to 1852. Many information boards tell me about his life and his cooperative idea. Now turn left along Raiffeisenstraße until the trail marker + (main hiking trail of the Westerwald Club) leads me over the street "Burgplatz" into Bahnhofstraße. If I were to follow this street, I would come to Seelbach, where there actually is a former train station. However, my + trail leads me out of town on a more beautiful path through fields, along hedges, and forest islands down to the Wied. I cross the river and the railway tracks, then turn right after a few meters onto the side path of the "Haupstraße". After about 200 meters, I meet the Wied trail, which I will now follow to Oberlahr. Almost always within sight of the railway tracks of the Holzbachtal line, which crosses my path just before Döttelsfeld in the direction of Puderbach.

It was not always like this because there used to be more tracks running along the Wied and all the way to Linz am Rhein. At the former railway tunnel in Döttelsfeld, I get information about the "rail triangle" there, whose bridge remains I repeatedly encounter on the route. From here, I even walk a piece along the former track of the Krupp narrow-gauge railway.

I reach the L 269, walk a bit to the left, but then immediately turn right towards the Grenzbachtal. Unlike the Westerwald-Steig, I do not follow the Grenzbach but cross it and stay close to the Wied. After about 200 meters, I see a huge pipe above the river. This is the crossing of the mill channel, whose water was used to drive the mill in the former Brucher mill.

At the Brucher mill, I cross the B 256, a road planned and built by Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen to facilitate transport to the Rhine.

Before the next Wied bridge, the Wied trail leads me left and shortly after right into the small street "Am Lahrbach". Until reaching the Waldstraße in Oberlahr, I now walk, without noticing it, again on the former railway line to Linz.

At the Waldstraße, I now leave the Wied trail and orient myself on main trail 2, which leads me over the Wied and into the village center of Oberlahr.

I pass old half-timbered houses, an old school, the picturesque St. Antonius parish church, and the historic village bakehouse.

Via Silberwiesenstraße, I reach an idyllic forest path, pass a former tunnel "Alte Silberwiese," and relax for 5 minutes on the impressive sound harp at the path’s edge. Shortly after, I reach the village of Rott and walk past the guesthouse "Alte Eiche" back towards Flammersfeld.

Shortly before Flammersfeld, trail 2 turns left into the forest. Here, I continue straight ahead and over Rheinstraße back to my starting point.

Safety instructions

Although the path is well marked throughout, you should always carry a suitable hiking map for safety reasons.

Equipment

Hiking boots, appropriate clothing, drinks for the way

Tips

Regarding gastronomy, I have free choice along my way: in Döttelsfeld, in Oberlahr/Bruch, Rott, and Flammersfeld.

Destination

Village community center Flammersfeld, Rheinstraße 44, 57632 Flammersfeld

Starting Point

Village community center Flammersfeld, Rheinstraße 44, 57632 Flammersfeld