Wäller Tour Brexbachschluchtweg - Grenzau

Description

The wild romantic Brexbach Valley is the focus of your hike. Already at the starting point in picturesque Grenzau, a district of Höhr-Grenzhausen, you can see the rugged character of the valley. First, the route leads uphill to Grenzau Castle, which towers over the small town characterized by half-timbered houses. From here, you see how the houses follow the narrow stream valley. Special feature: The bergfried of the castle is the only one with a triangular shape north of the Alps!

Now the path continues along rocky slopes up to Kaiserstuhl. The distinctive rock cliff offers a view into the Brexbach Valley with its forest and floodplain meadows. Only the now decommissioned railway line follows the course of the water to the Rhine in this section. For more than 20 kilometers from Grenzau, there is no longer a road through the valley.

From Kaiserstuhl, a narrow path leads down to the Brexbach. Anyone who finds this too demanding can alternatively follow the red and white marked HG5 down to Ostersmühle and from there via HG1 towards Steinebrück. Here you meet the Brexbachschluchtweg again after a short distance.

The Wäller Tour now follows the Brexbach to Nauort station. Natural forest meadows and rugged rocks make the route a varied experience here.

At the former station in Nauort, the trail now leaves the Brexbach Valley and leads uphill to Teufelsberg. Here you get another impressive view into the valley. An info point of the National GEOPARK Westerwald-Lahn-Taunus informs about the geology and mining in the valley.

Along old giant trees and massive quartz blocks – the Teufelstreppe – you now hike the height near Nauort. At Leutersberg, the forest recedes and repeatedly opens the view over the entire region in the following kilometers.

The town of Nauort is connected by a yellow-marked access path. There are various restaurants and shopping opportunities here.

The Brexbachschluchtweg continues over the height to Alsbach and, with numerous distant views, down into the Masselbachtal. Grenzau station, near the confluence of the Masselbach into the Brexbach, is now only used as a siding. The buildings are privately owned.

Back in the Brexbach Valley, you now reach the town of Grenzau again. The large Sporthotel Zugbrücke is an Olympic training center for the German national table tennis team. Here and at the destination, there are various places to refresh yourself.

Approach

From the A48 highway exit - Höhr-Grenzhausen, follow the road signs into the district Grenzau. In the town center, before a small bridge, there is a free hiking parking lot entrance on the left.

Public transport

From the stop Ransbach Kirche take bus 461 or 462 to Höhr-Grenzhausen (stop Schulzentrum) and continue with line 319 to the stop Bahnhof Grenzau/Kammerforst. Earliest connection from Ransbach Kirche at 5:50 a.m.

From the stop Bahnhof Grenzau/Kammerforst take bus 319 to Höhr-Grenzhausen (stop Polizei) and continue with line 462 or 485 towards Ransbach. Last connection at 5:53 p.m.

Bus connections can be checked daily at www.bahn.de.

Parking

Free parking in Grenzau (recommended address for navigation input: Brexbachstraße 11-17, 56203 Höhr-Grenzhausen)

Alternative starting points:

• Weiherplatz in 56237 Nauort (from here a short connecting path to the Wäller Tour Brexbachschluchtweg is signposted)
• Village community center in 56237 Alsbach

Directions

In the middle of Grenzau, you follow the marking uphill to Grenzau Castle. On a rustic forest path, you go to the distinctive rocks at the intersection at Kaiserstuhl. Here you turn left to the rock spur where a bench is available. Equipped with sturdy footwear, the path leads you in switchbacks down into the Brexbach Valley. In the valley, you turn onto a forest trail that continues to a forest road. You follow this through the high forest and reach the valley floodplain again. Across a meadow, you pass the viaduct. After the next viaduct, you enter the forest. This leads you to the tracks of the Brexbachtalbahn. You follow the stream around the rock spur, cross the railway line, and arrive at a forest intersection. Now you turn onto a path into the side valley. With some bends, you conquer the terrain nose at Teufelsberg and overlook the Brexbach Valley. After 8.5 km, your view extends over the Neuwieder Basin. At a forest road, you turn to the forest, which is replaced by meadows. You hike past the model airfield downhill until you reach a road. You follow this to the outskirts of Alsbach. Behind the village community center, you head again towards open fields. At the edge of the forest, you turn right and shortly afterwards onto a cross path. On a path, you go through a deeply cut gorge. You hike to the road and turn right there. Soon a path leads you into the Masselbachtal. A fantastic ascent follows. Finally, you reach K116 and use the "Kammerforster Steig", which leads to Grenzau Station. You cross the street and turn onto a forest road. This leads you under a viaduct back to Grenzau.

Safety instructions

• Wear sturdy footwear as well as weather-appropriate, suitable clothing that protects you from cold and wet, or heat and sun.
• Bring enough fluids. There are not always places to refresh yourself.
• Please wear suitable hiking shoes that provide sufficient support even on slippery, steep, rocky, and uneven paths.
• If you find certain path sections impassable, you should bypass them. Especially in adverse weather conditions, natural paths may have muddy and slippery sections.
• Especially in autumn, be aware that fallen leaves on the ground can hide unevenness, roots, stones, or holes on the path. You should expect these path impairments when hiking.
• Although the path is very well marked throughout, you should always carry a suitable hiking map for safety reasons.

Equipment

Hiking shoes

Weather-appropriate, suitable clothing

Tips

Left or right around? The route offers appealing perspectives in both directions. Tip: Test it at different times of the year!

Literature

• Wäller Tour leaflet map, GPS-accurate hiking map with excursion destinations, dining & leisure tips, street names and elevation profiles, map size (W x H): 20 map pages, 5.00 €
• Order at the Westerwald Shop!

Destination

Town center Grenzau

Starting Point

Town center Grenzau