Hiking Trail
Route profile
Notice
In the tour planner we inform you under the tab "Current info" about temporary route changes, closures and detours.
To the Tour Planer
The GeoRoute "Basalt and Non-ferrous Metals" takes me on a search for traces of the mighty volcanic forces that once shaped the ridge above the Wiedtal valley. On the 8.8-kilometre-long, partly challenging hiking trail, which is certified as a "discovery tour", I come across many information points that tell of the formation of today's landscape with its basalt peaks such as the Bertenauer Kopf, as well as the history of the mining of ores and basalt.
A highlight of my tour is the GeoTop of the Year 2021, the Rippelmarken, in the National GEOPARK Westerwald-Lahn-Taunus. The almost vertical rock face with the striking wave structures is a prime example of a fossilised seabed from the Devonian period and, for me, geology you can touch. Near the Bertenau head, I discover the small crater "Wolkenstein", which, together with Lake Manroth, gives me an idea of the efforts that were once made in the region to mine the volcanic rock. Non-ferrous metals (copper, lead, etc.) were once mined in the three mines Wilhelminensegen, Schiefer and Bertenauerkopf along the hiking trail.
On the origin of powerful volcanic forces
The route is signposted as a GeoRoute of the GEOPARK Westerwald-Lahn-Taunus.
Take enough liquid with you. There are not many places to stop for refreshments.
Please wear hiking shoes that are appropriate for the trail and that give you sufficient grip even on slippery and steep or rocky and uneven paths.
If you are of the opinion that certain sections of the trail are not passable for you, you should avoid them. Especially in adverse weather conditions, muddy and slippery passages can occur on natural paths.
Especially in autumn, you should also be aware that leaves lying on the ground can hide uneven surfaces, roots, stones or holes in the path. You must expect path impairments of this kind when you undertake a hike.
Although the trail is very well marked throughout, you should always have a suitable hiking map with you for safety reasons.
Wear sturdy shoes and appropriate, weatherproof clothing that protects you from cold and wet or heat and sun.
From GeoBlick Jungfernhof, above Neustadt, I enjoy a great view over the Asbach countryside all the way to the Siebengebirge.
Wiedpark Neustadt (Wied); Raiffeisenstraße 9; 53577 Neustadt (Wied)
Wiedpark Neustadt (Wied); Raiffeisenstraße 9; 53577 Neustadt (Wied)
More information & GPX download
Notice
In the tour planner we inform you under the tab "Current info" about temporary route changes, closures and detours.
To the Tour Planer