WesterwaldSteig Stage 15 Strauscheid - Waldbreitbach (East-West)

Description

Fantastic views. Even in Strauscheid, you encounter the traditional Marian devotion of the Westerwald in the radiant white chapel with the striking round tower. The Wied accompanies you or at least draws your gaze from a lofty height. The first highlight is the Weißenfelser Ley. In spring, you walk through carpets of white wood anemones in the forests, nibble on the red wild strawberries glowing in the undergrowth in summer, and marvel at the diversity of mushrooms in autumn. On the Roßbacher Häubchen, you climb the next viewing platform. The panorama-rich basalt hill is certainly one of the special hiking destinations in the Rhein-Westerwald Nature Park and a visible sign of the intense volcanism that once prevailed here and shaped the landscape. In Waldbreitbach, the Christ Child must be at home. The entire village is a Christmas village in winter with the largest natural root nativity scene in the world.

Approach

A3 to exit 35 Neustadt (Wied) and continue via K78 to Strauscheid

Public transport

In Strauscheid itself, there is no bus stop connected to Waldbreitbach. Nearby, the stops Strauscheid Niederhoppen or Kodden Brücke could be used to take bus line 130. Please note that there are no marked access paths to the WesterwaldSteig from these stops.

www.vrminfo.de

www.bahn.de

Alternatively, (return) travel by taxi is recommended.

Taxi recommendations:

Taxi Neustadt, Neustadt/Wied, Tel. 02683/943873
Auto Schmidt, Waldbreitbach/Breitscheid, Tel. 02638/340
Taxi Wiedtal, Waldbreitbach, Tel. 02638/94444

Here you can find hiking route tips with bus and train connections.

Parking

Strauscheid: Former hotel "Westerwälder Hof" (Kurstraße 10) and at the entrance to the village

Waldbreitbach: Market Street parking lot

Directions

From Strauscheid, you hike through a quiet forest to the Weißenfelser Ley, a steep rock face at the Wied with a shelter and further views into the valley. In early May, the white wood-violet, a particularly rare and beautiful orchid, blooms here. You circle around Weißenfels and make a detour to the 340-meter-high Roßbacher Häubchen shortly before Roßbach. From here, you have a 360-degree view to the Eifel and the Siebengebirge. You continue hiking to Roßbach and directly along the Wied to Walburg Castle. The route continues on narrow paths uphill to Over with a magnificent view of Waldbreitbach. Waldbreitbach is called the pearl of the Middle Wied Valley, but also the Christmas crib village. The 8.50-meter-high largest natural root nativity scene in the world is set up at Christmas time in the Catholic parish church. Near the Wied stands the oil mill, the oldest mill of its kind in the Rhineland. Directly opposite is Scheid's mill. The electoral ban mill from the 17th/18th century and the village smithy are beautiful photo motifs.

Access paths (marking: green W on a yellow background):

• from the western edge of the village to the public transport stop and Waldbreitbach parking lot (approx. 0.6 km) and to the monastery path (approx. 0.9 km)

Safety instructions

If you think certain sections of the trail are impassable for you, you should avoid them. Particularly in adverse weather conditions, natural paths can have muddy and slippery passages.

Especially in autumn, you should be aware that fallen leaves on the ground can hide unevenness, roots, stones, or holes on the path. You have to expect these kinds of path impairments when hiking.

Although the path is very well marked throughout, for safety reasons you should always have a suitable hiking map with you or download the free "Discover Rhineland-Palatinate" app.

Equipment

Wear sturdy footwear as well as weather-appropriate, functional clothing that protects against cold and wet or heat and sun.

Take enough fluids with you. There are not always places to stop for food or drink.

Please wear hiking shoes suitable for the trail, which also provide enough support on slippery and steep or rocky and uneven paths.

Tips

Wonderful wide views of autumnal colorful spots await you in the Wied Valley at the Weißenfelser Ley and the Roßbacher Häubchen.

Literature

Leporello hiking map WesterwaldSteig at a scale of 1:25,000

Order at www.westerwald-shop.info.

Destination

Waldbreitbach, center

Starting Point

Strauscheid, Kurstraße (church)