Mühlenweg Asbach (A4) – Discover old mills around Asbach

Description

The route leads you from the parish church in Asbach into the Jägertal valley to Dinspel. From there, it goes to Oberplag past the small quarry lake, then continues to Hinterplag where the local disused quarry awaits you. Next on your way is the first mill, the Thelenberger Mill. From here, the path goes past the "Haus der Natur" to the Köttinger Mill, where a campsite is now located. Further along the Pfaffenbach, you come to the Bennauer Mill. From there, it goes to the youngest mill, the Rauenhahner Mill. The route ends at the former Büscher Mill, from where you pass the former lido and the Railway Museum Asbach to return to the parish church and your starting point.

Approach

The parish church and marketplace are located in the village center of Asbach and are easily reachable by car. The A3 motorway junction Bad Honnef/Linz can be used in the direction of Asbach.

Public transport

At the marketplace in Asbach near the parish church, there is good public transport connection

www.vrminfo.de

Stop Asbach Marketplace

Parking

sufficient number of free parking spaces at the marketplace in Asbach (Navigation: Grabenstraße in 53567 Asbach)

Directions

The Mühlenweg gets its name from the various mills that served along the Pfaffenbach over the last centuries. The path starts at the parish church of St. Laurentius in Asbach, passes the remains of the historic fortification (rampart) of the “Freiheit” and “Veste” Asbach, leading into the Jägertal, which follows the Dinspeler Bach to Dinspel. Dinspel was first mentioned in 1418 as an electorate Cologne estate under the name “Wedestel”. The path continues to Oberplag with its small quarry lake; the quarrying was not very productive. At Hinterplag, the Hinterplag quarry awaits; this quarry is open, so no basalt lake has formed. The quarry is now protected and is maintained by the nature conservation association ANUAL. Further along the way, we reach the first mill, the Thelenberger Mill. It was built as an oil mill in the 18th century and restored a few years ago. From the path, there's a view of the former mill, which is now privately owned. We then pass the “Haus der Natur” (House of Nature). The “Haus der Natur” was formerly a pumping station that belonged to the drinking water supply of the Asbach area and is now used by ANUAL for exhibitions, project days, and courses. Next, we come to the Köttinger Mill. It was originally an oil mill and was first mentioned in records in 1652. In 1817, it was listed as a grinding mill in a statistic. Grain was milled in the Köttinger Mill until the early 1950s. The mill building, a half-timbered structure, was renovated at the end of the 1980s. Further upstream of the Pfaffenbach is the Bennauer Mill. The Bennauer Mill was first mentioned in 1554 and was operated as an oil mill in 1634. Milling ceased around 1900, and the mill burned down in 1932. Off the path, we see the former Rauenhahner Mill. The Rauenhahner Mill was the youngest mill in the Pfaffenbach valley and was built in 1913 as a grain mill and sawmill. The overshot waterwheel delivered a power of nine horsepower. The grain mill was shut down in 1957, and the sawmill was converted to electric motors. The last mill on the Mühlenweg is the former Büscher Mill. The Büscher Mill was an oil, grinding, and bone mill, which was closed down in 1975. The age of the former mill is unknown; grain and oats were milled here until 1938. Passing the former lido, now developed into a park with a pond, and the “Landscape and Railway Museum Asbach”, the path leads back to the starting point at the parish church of St. Laurentius in Asbach.

Safety instructions

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

• Take enough fluids with you. Not all sections have places to rest or eat.

• Please wear suitable hiking shoes on the path that provide enough support even on slippery, steep, rocky, or uneven sections.

• If you believe certain parts of the path are not passable for you, avoid them. Particularly under adverse weather conditions, natural paths can have muddy and slippery stretches.

• Especially in autumn, be aware that fallen leaves on the ground can conceal unevenness, roots, stones, or holes. Expect such path impairments when hiking.

• Although the path is very well marked throughout, for safety reasons, always carry an appropriate hiking map.

Equipment

Hiking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing are recommended

Tips

Get information from the nature conservation association "Anual" about possible events, for example in the "Haus der Natur" or along the route

www.anual-ev.de

Destination

Parish church Asbach

Starting Point

Parish church Asbach