Discover hollow ways around Altenkirchen by bike

Description

In the small-structured landscape around Altenkirchen, hollow ways are still very often to be found.
These are paths dug into the terrain, generally unpaved, with steep slopes or rising embankments, often overgrown with bushes. The hollow ways often originated through unintentional deepening by wagons followed by erosion. They are usually found outside built-up areas. The hollow ways, radiating out from the edges of settlements, are often deeper and were probably actively dug and in many places the saying was: "He must come through the hollow lane...."

On this cycling route, I follow the traces of these old paths and get a feeling for recognizing and appreciating hollow ways. Because they are not only historically significant, but also important for ecology.

Great viewpoints and wonderful landscape come free with this cycling route.

Approach

Altenkirchen can be reached from Cologne and Limburg via the A3 and B 8, from Wissen and Neuwied via the B 256, and from Herborn via the B 414.

Public transport

Via the Sieg line (Cologne/Bonn - Windeck/Au - Siegen) and change at Au/Windeck, you can reach Altenkirchen by train. From Siegen there is even a direct connection. From Frankfurt direction, you can also reach Altenkirchen by regional train via Limburg.
Connection journeys can be found at https://www.vrminfo.de

Parking

Free parking Heimstraße, opposite Koblenzerstr. 25, 57610 Altenkirchen
Additional parking options in the surroundings or directly at the P+R parking at the train station

Directions

From the starting point, it goes toward Almersbach and then to Neitersen. Directly behind the cinema "Wied-Scala" – I pass the first hollow way (1). I follow the signposted cycle route No. 4 to Stürzelbach but turn right behind the town entrance sign. About 200 m further (in front of the parking lot of the grill hut), I turn left into a farm road. After another 200 m, you find yourself in the middle of the hollow way "Gartenstraße." Via Talstraße and Fürstenbergstraße I reach Feldstraße to Mahlert and continue to Fluterschen.

Shortly before the town, I pass hollow way No. (3), which as a paved road is hardly recognized as a former hollow way. I cross Koblenzer Straße, ride about 100 m on the street "Zum Allen," then turn left into "Eichenweg."

At the end of "Eichenweg," a hollow way leads right into the valley. Hollow way No. (4) can be seen as an extension of "Eichenweg." Looking back, some gnarled trees can be spotted. Could the "bent" hornbeams once have been part of a "hedge"? –

From here, it goes back to Koblenzer Straße. We follow route 4 to "Steimeler Straße." After a few meters, two more hollow ways appear. The route leads us through the left hollow way (5) toward Oberwambach. Above Schäfer's farmstead stands the shelter "Zur schönen Aussicht." A short rest is recommended!

In Oberwambach, I deviate from the signed route No. 4 and take a detour through Oberwambach to discover hollow ways No. 6-10.

At the town entrance, one finds very scant remains of hollow way No. (6), which according to a topographical map from 1847 existed here earlier.

I continue on the "Hauptstraße" and keep right (towards E. Schepers carpentry). At the end of "Im Unterdorf," I turn left and begin the impressive hollow way No. (7), whose lane has been asphalted. It once led to Neitzert. At the upper end, I turn left into the farm road and enjoy the view over Oberwambach. 500 m further, I reach "Rodenbacher Straße" and ride down to the outskirts reaching "Lautzerter Straße." This district road from Lautzert squeezes through hollow way No. (8) after a few meters.

After crossing the brook, it goes right into "Im Heldengarten." Where "Heldengarten" turns left for the second time, I look right into hollow way No. (9). But we continue left on "Heldengarten" and reach "Schulstraße."

"Schulstraße" was once a hollow way from Amteroth. On the right side of the street, the embankment of the hollow way is still well preserved. The opposite embankment suffered significantly from various construction measures.

On "Schulstraße," it continues toward Amteroth, and we stay on route No. 4 until the end. The district road from Oberwambach merges into a hollow way in Amteroth. Even today, the steep house accesses on both sides of the street can be recognized.

Further in town, I take a detour to "Dorfplatz." (Turn right at the first street "Auf der alten Bitz" – about 150 m). At Amteroth village square, behind the old threshing barn, "Hohlweg" street begins, and traces of former hollow way No. (12) can also be recognized.

Shortly after Almersbach, cycle route No. 4 leads me into the stream valley, where at a large beech I now tackle the last ascent of the circuit.

I reach the high path that leads to the Bismarck Tower.

On the left, before the first spruce forest, hollow way No. (13) begins, which was created by vehicle traffic, as the hollow way leads relatively steeply down into Almersbachtal. Parallel to it, one can see a second rutted track in the small forest.

Not far from there, on the left in the forest area, various old rutted tracks nearly parallel to the road (No. 14) can be found. In earlier times, there was a busy wagon traffic up here, as until about 1800, the main connection from Altenkirchen toward Frankfurt ran here. In bad road conditions of the unpaved roads, they often used the areas to the right or left of the actual road.

In front of the Bismarck Tower, it goes right into Heimstraße, and I reach the starting point again in Altenkirchen.

The hollow way bike route was developed in 2011 by Mr. Günter Fleischer from Amteroth. Further information about hollow ways in the Westerwald can be found at www.fleischer-amteroth.de/8.html.

Tips

A self-brought concluding picnic at the Bismarck Tower, with a great view over the town, makes the day a successful route.

Literature

Map with route and description of the hollow ways can be found at: http://www.fleischer-amteroth.de/resources/Hohlweg-Fahrradtour.pdf

Destination

Parking Heimstraße, opposite Koblenzerstr. 25, 57610 Altenkirchen

Starting Point

Parking Heimstraße, opposite Koblenzerstr. 25, 57610 Altenkirchen