Kannenbäckerland route: variety between potteries, Westerwald Cathedral, and Erlenhof Lake

Description

Depending on when you undertake this route, you visit the Westerwald Ceramics Museum in Höhr-Grenzhausen, the largest of its kind worldwide, before or after. The town is one of the centers in the Kannenbäckerland, our land of pottery. From Schlossberg in Grenzau, the castle with its triangular bergfried greets you on the left. When you arrive later in Selters, take some time for the historic town center of this place, which is one of the oldest in the Westerwald. Then continue to Mogendorf. Here wonderful ceramic objects are partly handmade in the many potteries, mostly featuring the typical salt glaze of the Kannenbäckerland. In Siershahn, the Clay Mining Museum awaits you, open in the afternoons from April to November and otherwise accessible by arrangement. In Wirges, you are welcome to visit the Westerwald Cathedral.

Approach

• From Cologne: take A3 to L307 in Mogendorf, take exit 38-Ransbach-Baumbach on A3, continue on L313 to Siemensstraße in Wirges
• From Frankfurt: follow A3 to B255 in Heiligenroth, take exit 40-Montabaur on A3, follow B255, then take L300 and Bahnhofstraße to Siemensstraße in Wirges
• From Koblenz: take A48 to Rheinstraße in Mogendorf, take exit 38-Ransbach-Baumbach on A3, continue on L313 to Siemensstraße in Wirges
• From Siegen: take B62N, B62, L288, K21, ... and L307 to Siemensstraße in Wirges
• From Limburg a.d. Lahn: take A3 to B255 in Heiligenroth, take exit 40-Montabaur on A3, follow B255, then L300 and Bahnhofstraße to Siemensstraße in Wirges

Public transport

By train to the station in Wirges.

Parking

Wirges station

Directions

The route starts in Wirges at the train station. I circle around Massenberg near Ebernhahn and ride across Ransbach-Baumbach. After crossing the A 48, I dive deep into the Nassau Nature Park before arriving in Höhr-Grenzhausen. The route then continues with some bends to the north and down towards Grenzau, which lies in the Brexbach valley. Then follows a climb and a wide westward curve leads to Sessenbach and subsequently to Wirscheid. Along the way, I enjoy wide views of the Westerwald and the Rhine Valley. Riding downhill again, I reach the Sayn valley and pass Breitenau and Deesen. I cross the A 3 and cycle through Ellenhausen to Selters. Here the route heads south. The tall forests of Siershahn provide shade. Soon the Westerwald Cathedral in Wirges greets me and my route takes me close to the town center and back again to the station. For the challenging 48 kilometers of this circular route, I should plan more than three and a half hours without breaks.

Safety instructions

Very good fitness required.

Equipment

For bags and backpacks on a bicycle tour, the back is not the only place – the weight of the equipment should ideally be distributed over several body and bike parts. Wind, rain, or sun can cause very different temperature perceptions on the bike – a cold can best be avoided with professional cycling clothing. On a multi-day tour, you should always have suitable change clothes on hand to be prepared for any eventuality. Among other important equipment, the necessary tools and repair materials should not be forgotten. At high speeds, it’s easy to take a wrong turn on a bike tour: traditional and modern aids such as a bike map or a GPS device help with orientation. You should also always have a small emergency kit with you.

Tips

You can join this circular route almost anywhere, for example in Ransbach-Baumbach. The lake and park then form a relaxing end to the route.

Literature

• Combined flyer bike/hiking, available free of charge here
• KOMPASS bike/hiking map Westerwald (South), 1:50,000, ISBN: 978-3-00-065929-4

Destination

Wirges, station

Starting Point

Wirges, station