Kirchspielweg Asbach (A3) - experience the scenic beauty of the Krumbach valley

Description

The Kirchspielweg connects Asbach as the seat of the parish with the Limbach rectory and opens up the scenic beauty of the Krumbach valley. You start your hike at the parish church in Asbach. It was already built before the year 1200 and has had its current appearance since around the end of World War II. Originally, it was secured by a wall, which is pointed out by an information board on Wallstraße. Passing the marketplace in Asbach, which has existed since about 1790, you pass the Kamillus Clinic, founded in 1886, and come to the "Mückenfeldchen," a basalt quarry that has been out of operation since World War I. The path leads through the district of Löhe to Limbach to the St. Maria Rosenkranzkönigin Chapel. Through the villages of Ditscheid and Sessenhausen it continues to Krumbach, where you are impressed by a multitude of old half-timbered houses. Through the Krumbach valley, past the Krumbach mill, the path leads over Schöneberg and Parscheid back to Asbach.

Approach

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

Public transport

There is a convenient connection to local public transport at Asbach marketplace.

Parking

There are plenty of free parking spaces available at the marketplace in Asbach (Navigation: Grabenstraße, 53567 Asbach).

Directions

The Kirchspielweg connects Asbach as the seat of the parish with the Limbach rectory, built in 1865, and opens up the scenic beauty of the Krumbach valley. The path begins at the parish church of St. Laurentius. The first church was first mentioned in documents in 1237 but is believed to have been built before 1200. It was a three-aisled Romanesque church whose tower still remains today. In 1866, the now dilapidated church was demolished except for the tower and replaced by a larger three-aisled neo-Gothic church. About 74 years later, in March 1945, it was destroyed by grenades and bombs and reduced to rubble and ashes. In the post-war years, enormous efforts were required to build the current third parish church, which was completed in 1951 and consecrated on St. Lawrence’s Day. The image of all the church buildings is significantly shaped by the 800-year-old tower. Of particular importance is the chapel on the first floor of the tower with its 500-year-old Pietà, which comes from a small chapel in Drinhausen. Almost as old as the tower is the baptismal font under the organ gallery. It has the shape of a chalice and was made shortly after 1200 from Liège sandstone. In front of the church, at the entrance to the parking lot from Wallstraße, is a plaque commemorating the historic fortification (wall) of the “Freiheit” and “Veste” Asbach. The wall protected an area about 185 m long and 160 m wide and was partly formed as a double wall with a deep ditch. The origin of this wall as a Carolingian royal court is suspected between the 7th and 9th centuries. The path then continues to the marketplace; since 1790 Asbach has had market rights, where a market day still takes place once a month. Passing the “DRK Kamillus Klinik,” a hospital was first established here in 1886 at the site of the current clinic. The path continues to the “Mückenfeldchen,” an exploited basalt quarry that was in operation from 1901 until the beginning of World War I and, after its closure, filled with water. The route leads through the Asbach district of Löhe to Limbach to the chapel “St. Maria Rosenkranzkönigin,” which was consecrated in 1893. Continuing through the villages of Ditscheid and Sessenhausen, the route leads to Krumbach. In early Frankish times, the “Alte Hoff,” below the current village, was the center of an early estate with an extensive tithe district. Today, the village impresses with numerous old half-timbered houses. The path continues through the valley of the Krumbach to the Krumbach mill, first mentioned in 1817. From the Krumbach mill, the path leads over Schöneberg and Parscheid back to the starting point in Asbach.

Safety instructions

• Wear sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate, functional clothing that protects you from cold and wet conditions as well as heat and sun.

• Bring enough fluids with you. There are not always places to stop along the way.

• Please wear suitable hiking boots on the path that provide you with sufficient support even on slippery, steep, rocky, and uneven paths.

• If you believe that certain sections of the path are not passable for you, you should bypass them. Especially in adverse weather conditions, there can be muddy and slippery passages on natural paths.

• Particularly in autumn, note that fallen leaves on the ground can conceal unevenness, roots, stones, or holes in the path. You should expect such path impingements when hiking.

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

Equipment

Hiking boots and weather-appropriate clothing are advisable.

Tips

Enjoy the lively bustle in the village center of Asbach and treat yourself to a refreshing ice cream at the local ice cream parlor on the marketplace.

Destination

Parish Church Asbach

Starting Point

Parish Church Asbach