Druidensteig - Stage 2 From Herdorf to Daaden

Description

On the second stage of the Druidensteig we discover the natural beauties and geologically relevant points between the mining towns of Herdorf and Daaden. The so-called Silbersee on the Mahlscheid, where basalt was mined until the 1970s, is unique in terms of landscape. Other natural attractions are the beech in the Hüllwald near Daaden, which is one of the oldest trees in the region, and the basalt columns on the Hohenseelbachskopf. If you have not yet got to know the mining museum of the Altenkirchen district at the beginning of the hike, a visit to Herdorf-Sassenroth is definitely recommended. Narrow forest paths lead us up on this hiking tour and we enjoy the view of the entire city of Herdorf. We reach today's stage destination when we arrive in the city of Daaden, where there are numerous refreshment stops. The center impresses with the baroque church, some pretty half-timbered houses and the local museum.

Brief description

Many people know Karl May's treasure in the Silbersee - between Herdorf and Daaden the Silbersee itself is a special "natural treasure, reminiscent of the former basalt mining.

Approach

Arriving by car

The Herdorf-Sassenroth district can be reached via the L284 regional road between Betzdorf and Herdorf. The start of the stage is in front of the Geo Information Center Mining Museum of the Altenkirchen Herdorf-Sassenroth district. The access through the village is signposted.

Public transport

Arrival by public transport

The Hellertalbahn connects the stop in Herdorf-Sassenroth to the stations in Betzdorf and in the opposite direction via Herdorf to Haiger and Dillenburg.

Hellertalbahn timetable information: www.dreilaenderbahn.de

There is a bus stop for bus route 278 in Hellerstrasse in Herdorf-Sassenroth. However, this is a school bus route with limited operating times.

Timetable information Westerwaldbus GmbH: www.westerwaldbus.de

Back to the start of the stage

Timetable information: www.dreilaenderbahn.de

Parking

Free parking lot directly at the district mining museum. Navigate entry: Schulstraße 13, 57562 Herdorf-Sassenroth

Directions

We lace our hiking boots in front of the Geo-Info Center, the mining museum of the Altenkirchen district, which gives us an excellent insight into the mining history of the region. We will then be able to better understand all the essential geopoints that follow later on the hiking route once we have gotten to know the museum better. After starting the hiking tour, starting from Sassenroth we climb the so-called cuckoo oak over narrow nature trails and enjoy the wonderful panorama of the City of Herdorf, which we touch a little later in small trains. We walk over a former embankment of a transport railway, which was initially used by horses until 1873 and later by locomotives, up into the Sottersbach valley until we reach the location of the former San Fernando mine. Passing the Josefshäuschen, a small chapel, we again enjoy the view of the mining town of Herdorf. Opposite, we notice the huge, gray sand dumps, which are reminiscent of the Friedrichshütte, which existed in Herdorf at the time. As we continue hiking, wide views open up and then we reach the location of the former Wolf pit. A remaining relic from the time of the mine is the massive pulley of the winding tower. With a bit of fitness, we soon have to overcome around 200 meters of altitude, reach the Blauer Halde and treat ourselves to a break. Then the next stopover lies ahead of us, the so-called Mahlscheid nature reserve (formerly the Baltic mining). The rest of the route is relatively flat and we discover the course of a former braking line from Hohenseelbachskopf down to a loading point, the route of which will remain around 500 meters. Via the Hohenseelbachskopf, another basalt mining area, we start the slow descent down to Daaden. We are guided past the lovingly designed stations of an educational forest trail through the Hüllwald to the Hüllbuche natural monument. A trade route from Hachenburg via Daaden to Siegen used to pass here. We continue downhill into the town center of Wissen with the baroque church and the local museum. With this we reach today's stage destination of the Druidensteig.

Safety instructions

Wear sturdy shoes and suitable clothing that is suitable for the weather and protects you from the cold and wet or from the heat and the sun. There are not many places to stop for refreshments. Please put on suitable hiking shoes for the path, which will give you sufficient support even on slippery and steep or rocky and uneven paths. If you are of the opinion that certain sections of the path are not accessible to you, then you should bypass this. Especially in adverse weather conditions, near-natural paths can lead to muddy and slippery passages. Particularly in autumn, it is important to ensure that the leaves lying on the ground can cover bumps, roots, stones or holes in the path. You should expect this kind of obstacle to the path when you go on a hike. Although the path is consistently very well marked, you should always have a suitable hiking map with you for safety reasons.

Equipment

Wear sturdy shoes and suitable clothing that is suitable for the weather and protects you from the cold and wet or from the heat and sun. Take plenty of fluids with you. There are not many places to stop for refreshments. Please put on suitable hiking shoes along the way, which will give you sufficient support even on slippery and steep or rocky and uneven paths.

Tips

In any case, catch a glimpse of the basalt mining area, the so-called Mahlscheid, from a small viewing platform in the northeast.

Literature

A KOMPASS hiking map north including the Druidensteig is available from the Westerwald shop at https://www.westerwald-shop.info/epages/17784951.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/17784951/Products/129.

Destination

Daaden local history museum, Im Schützenhof 6, 57567 Daaden

Starting Point

Geo-Info Center Mining Museum Herdorf-Sassenroth, Schulstrasse 13, 57562 Herdorf-Sassenroth