Wäller Tour Greifenstein loop - Stage 1 - Herborn/Beilstein

Description

From Herborn, you walk through the green Dill valley and start the ascent to Katzenstein. Here, total silence surrounds you after the city noise. You continue through the shady forest. Then the lovely Fleisbachtal with meadows and water invites you for a picnic. A longer climb brings you to Greifenstein and the impressive castle ruin with the interesting bell world, which you gladly visit. From the castle courtyard, you enjoy the grand view into the Dill valley. Afterwards, you take the path through the dense forest to a shelter above the Ulmbachtalsperre reservoir. Here, too, a good resting place is offered. It goes downhill again into the Ulmbachtal valley, where after some time you reach the dam of the idyllic reservoir. Your path takes you over the 16-meter high earth embankment dam. In summer, you like to take a swimming break here. Then follows a climb to Christköppelchen, where the first part of the Greifenstein loop ends shortly before. Through a short access path, you reach the charming town of Beilstein.

Public transport

Stop Wellenbad/Fachmarktzentrum, Herborn (www.bahn.de)

Parking

Inn Brewery & Hotel Gutshof
Im Gutshof 1 / Austrasse 81a
35745 Herborn

Directions

In the first meters through the green valley of the lively Dill, the soundscape is still urban, but this soon changes. Silence prevails at the latest after a successful ascent to Katzenstein. Through a shady forest section, the Greifenstein loop leads into the lovely Fleisbachtal. After a pleasantly steady climb, the view turns towards Greifenstein, which is reached after another ascent past the sports field. The impressive Greifenstein castle ruin is the stunning highlight of the first stage of the Greifenstein loop. A roughly 1.2 km long circular path (marked in yellow) leads through the town to the castle, which can be visited for a small fee. An extraordinary stopover in the castle vault offering selected dishes and especially plenty of refreshing drinks is likely to be welcome. After climbing the windy bell tower of the castle, admiring the bell world, and exploring every corner of the winding castle ruin, the route continues. Through dense forest and lively paths, you reach a scenic shelter high above the Ulmbachtalsperre reservoir. Time for a long rest. Refreshed, you continue downhill into the Ulmbachtal valley. Along the peacefully babbling Ulmbach, the Greifenstein loop shortly thereafter reaches the dam of the 600 x 90 to 180 m large reservoir. The path leads directly over the 16 m high earth embankment dam. On hot days, a refreshing swim is possible here. Then the Greifenstein loop ascends towards Christköppelchen, where the stage ends shortly before. A short access path leads into the beautiful Beilstein.

Safety instructions

• Wear sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate, functional clothing that protects you from cold and wet or heat and sun.
• Bring enough fluids with you.
• Please wear appropriate hiking boots on the path that provide enough grip even on slippery and steep or rocky and uneven trails.
• If you consider some sections of the path unwalkable for you, you should avoid them. Especially in adverse weather conditions, natural paths can have muddy and slippery passages.
• Especially in autumn, note that fallen leaves can cover unevenness, roots, stones, or holes in the path. You must expect such path impairments when hiking.
• Although the path is consistently very well marked, for safety reasons you should always carry a suitable hiking map.

Tips

Ideal for a picnic are the seating groups at the Ulmtalsperre reservoir and also a covered shelter above the reservoir heading towards Greifenstein.

Literature

Wander map foldout Wäller Tours, GPS-accurate hiking map with excursion destinations, dining & leisure tips, street names and elevation profiles, map size (W x H): 20 map pages each 18 x 20 cm, 9 editorial pages, €6.95 - Hiking enjoyment Rhine/Westerwald. Hiking map 1: 25,000 scale. €5.95, ISBN: 978-3-942779-04-3. ideemedia Verlag.

Destination

Greifenstein-Beilstein

Starting Point

Herborn, Hotel Gutshof