Wiedweg 05. Stage Oberlahr - Neustadt (Wied)

Description

This stage of the Wiedweg leads you through the Lahrer Herrlichkeit, a particularly picturesque section of the Wied valley between Döttesfeld and Neustadt (Wied). The Burglahr castle ruins with its 25-meter-high round keep, the 34-hectare Bertenauer Kopf nature reserve, and the Telegrafhügel are the highlights along the way. You follow the Wiedweg on a former railway track to Burglahr. Soon you will see Lahr Castle on the other side of the Wied and a little later to the left of the path the Alvensleben tunnel, a former water drainage tunnel of the Louise mine with 1.5 km length and straight alignment. Through a small illuminated railway tunnel, you enter the Mettelshahner Switzerland directly behind Peterslahr with the viewpoint “Mettelshahner Ley,” which lies south of Ehrenstein castle ruins. You can reach the castle and the associated monastery via a short detour. The Kreuzherrenkirche (Order of the Cross Church) features beautiful stained-glass windows in the nave. High above the Wied valley, on the slope of Bertenauer Kopf, you enjoy the panoramic view. The volcanic basalt cone, at 352 meters, is the highest elevation in the Neustadt area and is said to have been the only active volcano in the Westerwald.

Approach

A3 to Neuwied exit, then via B 256 to the entrance of Oberlahr

Public transport

Arrival by public transport

Train from Cologne or Limburg to Altenkirchen station and from there by bus line 120 to Bürgenbach-Bruch (directly located on the Wiedweg; bus daily, travel time: approx. 25 minutes).

Return to start of stage

Return trip from Neustadt (Wied) to Oberlahr with bus line 125 (daily, travel time: approx. 21-25 minutes)
Bus stop Neustadt (Wied): Neustadt (Wied), Ev. Kirche (directly on the Wiedweg)
Bus stops Oberlahr: Westerwald-Treff, Bürgenbach (about 50 m from the main path; cross the large parking lot) or Bürgenbach, Bruch (directly on the Wiedweg)

www.bahn.de | www.vrm.info

Parking

Oberlahr: Hotel Westerwald-Treff, In der Huth 1, 57641 Oberlahr (free of charge)

Neustadt (Wied): free parking available at Wiedpark, Raiffeisenstraße 9

Directions

From the entrance to Oberlahr, you cross the Wied and follow Brucher Straße about 200 meters to the right. Then you turn right again onto the path "Am Lahrbach," which you leave after about 200 meters and walk left, parallel to the Wied, through the wooded area of the Rhein-Westerwald Nature Park. After one kilometer, you follow the forest road 200 meters to the left and then turn right onto a natural path. This path curves and then runs about 2.1 kilometers again parallel to the Wied. At Kur-Kölner-Straße, you go left and immediately after turn left again on the Jägerpfad, walking about 200 meters along a small residential area. Then you turn left onto the forest road into the woods and walk 100 meters slightly uphill before making a right curve and following the natural path for 400 meters. You go right and after 200 meters left. After 300 meters, turn right onto a gravel path and follow it for 400 meters before switching left onto a 400-meter-long trail. It still goes uphill, but at the end of the path, you walk about 700 meters downhill to Peterlahr and leave the Fauna-Flora-Habitat area 'Felsentäler der Wied.' In the residential area, you turn right into the street "Auf dem Heidstock" and follow it to the street "Im Allen." You pass the church and after about 500 meters turn into Wiedtalstraße. After 100 meters, you turn left onto the street "Im Auenweg" and immediately follow the Wiedweg right past the village until you reach the Fauna-Flora-Habitat area 'Felsentäler der Wied' again after about 500 meters. You head towards the Wied, cross Wiedtalstraße, and keep left, through the forest and parallel to the river. After about 1.8 kilometers, you are in the middle of Mettelshahn and take a break at the guesthouse. Then you follow Wiedweg to the forest and 100 meters through it and slightly uphill until you reach the Westerwaldsteig. You go right and after 300 meters right again, then 400 meters out of the forest. Then you walk right back onto a natural path into the forest and uphill until you see the Telegraf and then the Bertenauer Kopf. Shortly before Obereilenberg, you reach the L270 and turn right towards Eilenberg. Wiedweg leads you through the village onto Ehrensteiner Straße and then onto Weidenstraße. At the exit, you turn left until after 900 meters you encounter the Westerwaldsteig. You turn right, immediately right again, and then left over the Wied. On the other side, you follow a natural path parallel to the Wied to the left and reach your destination, the Kirchplatz of Neustadt, after about 500 meters.

Safety instructions

• Wear sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate, functional clothing that protects you from cold and wet or heat and sun.
• Take enough fluids with you. Not everywhere on the route offers refreshment options. Please wear suitable hiking shoes that give you enough grip even on slippery and steep or rocky and uneven paths.
• If you think individual sections of the path are not walkable for you, you should avoid them. Especially in bad weather conditions, natural paths can have muddy and slippery sections.
• Especially in autumn, be aware that fallen leaves can cover unevenness, roots, stones, or holes on the path. You must expect such path impairments when hiking.
• Although the path is very well marked throughout, for safety reasons, always carry a suitable hiking map with you.
• Not suitable for strollers
• Not suitable for wheelchair users

Equipment

Sturdy footwear recommended!

Tips

Visits to the Alvensleben tunnel in Burglahr are possible by prior arrangement by telephone: +49 2681/85-193.

Literature

"Rhein-Westerwald Nature Park Map 2 (North)", 5th edition 2008 (ISBN 978-3-89637-265-9)

Destination

In der Kirchwiese, 53577 Neustadt (Wied)

Starting Point

Bruchermühle, Raiffeisenstraße 1, 57641 Oberlahr