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Westerwald
Westerwald
Water, wind and forest
Anyone who tours through the Westerwald will notice three things in particular: dense forests, countless streams and rivers and the wind that whistles almost constantly over the heights.
Birgit Putz
01/04/1999
It is still early in the morning, thick banks of fog swirl in the valleys, which are only slowly absorbed by the sun, and more in autumn reveal fields that look like golden-yellow carpets. But it will take a long time before the temperature has risen to a comfortable level, because here in the higher elevations of the Westerwald a different wind blows than in the sheltered lowlands through which Jo and I came from the A4 until a few kilometers ago have driven. But the fact that the noses and fingertips are already tingling from the cold is irrelevant on this wonderful Sunday morning: At the moment the road to Crottorf belongs to us only, and we can enjoy the fun cornering completely undisturbed – getting up early was worth it. After a while we discover the old moated castle Crottorf. But a large gate blocks entry: the lords of the castle do not receive their visitors until eleven o’clock. So we only have a cursory glance over the wall to the well-tended park. But it doesn’t matter, because actually we just want to drive today – and have breakfast in nearby Freudenberg first. But even small towns with their ancient half-timbered houses still seem quite sleepy, and since the cafes in the village are not set up for visitors that early, we only get a few rolls at the counter of a bakery after a short walk through the old town , we continue towards Hachenburg. The sun is finally gaining strength, the temperature slowly climbs to ten degrees. With every kilometer we drive, the sky appears a tad bluer – a wonderful contrast to the autumnal canopy of leaves of the dense birch and beech forests, through which the lonely road winds like a long lindworm. In Hachenburg we comfortably chug our enduros over the cobblestones of the narrow, old streets of the city center, past beautifully restored half-timbered houses to the lion fountain, the city’s landmark. But then the country road beckons us again, or rather: one of the many small streets that run parallel to the B 414 through the middle of Kroppacher Schweiz in the high Westerwald. Here one curve chases the next, the motorcycles swing back and forth until you drop – but not quite as quickly as in summer. Withered leaves adorn the asphalt. Nice to look at, but unfortunately extremely slippery. And the wind constantly shakes more leaves from the trees, which float to the ground as if in slow motion. So a slow pace is the order of the day, and we have plenty of time to look over the hilly country and memorize the strange place names that we have never heard before: Atzelgift, Stangenrod, Irmtraut. We reach the “high point” of the day near Salzburg. At least the geographic one: According to a sign on the side of the road, we are exactly 602 meters above sea level. In terms of alpine conditions, it is really not a record, but in the Westerwald it is quite a stormy place, as the numerous wind turbines testify. At the moment, however, only a light breeze is blowing over the heights, so weak that the rotors of the large electricity mills hardly turn. The further journey is a constant up and down, and we just let the motorcycles run. Over small roads that meander through the country like a roller coaster, we rush from one mountain range to the next and through just as many valleys, in which the once extensive and dense forests have fallen victim to the hunger for wood of the Siegerland iron smelters in the last two centuries – the wood served as fuel for the stoves. Today the fields and meadows spread out over this landscape like a patchwork quilt. Occasionally we pass small moorlands – protected areas for rare plants and animal species – or stop at one of the many viewpoints to marvel at the yellow and red colored autumn landscape. We are enjoying what may be the last beautiful weekend of this year to the fullest: we leave Burbach behind and in Herborn we limit ourselves to a short motorcycle sightseeing tour in the old town. After this “Nordschleife” through the Westerwald, we are drawn back south. But not only driving, lunch is also a great pleasure. In the Landgasthaus Strohmann in Gusternhain we have plump plates with a selection of the most delicious specialties from the in-house butcher’s shop. Something like that sits well – and at the Heisterberger Weiher, which is only a stone’s throw away, we decide to take a longer break. A few kilometers further begins the Kannenbackerland, the southwestern part of the Westerwald. Pottery has been used extensively in this area for centuries. But of the once numerous smaller potteries, the “owl factories”, only a handful remain today, which specialize in the salt-glazed, gray-blue earthenware dishes typical of this region. The raw material for the burned household items can be found right next door: in the large clay deposits between Sayn and Ransbach-Baumbach and in the vicinity of the town of Montabaur, whose large castle we can only take a look at from the saddle. Finally, we turn into the Wiedtal, where we can see the narrow street hugs the small river. Lots of forest, endless curves and two romantic castle ruins, which can be seen from afar, enthroned on the hills – an Eldorado for onlookers motorcyclists. Above that a clear, dark blue sky and the sun, which makes the autumn forest almost explode with colors. On the other hand, even the most beautiful summer day fades. And unlike in the warm season of the year, nobody comes across us on two wheels today. Hardly anyone else is out and about, and the many campsites on the banks of the Wied, especially popular with canoeists and mountain bikers, have long since closed. Only at Waldbreitbach do we leave the Wied again and slowly tour in the direction of Linz, where the Westerwald hills on the banks of the Rhine come to an end . The city itself is a prime example of past architecture. Behind the two thick gate towers of the old city wall, over 130 colorfully decorated half-timbered houses lure us into the center of the historic Burgplatz. When we see the crooked houses with their tiny windows, we feel as though we have been transported back to the Middle Ages. Countless passers-by stroll through the streets or across the square to feel the power of the sun once again before winter finally has the say. We could hardly have chosen a better place for a piece of cake than in the cafe on Burgplatz. From this cozy place we swing back up into the heights of the Westerwald and in the late afternoon we come across the Wied, which we now, near Neustadt follow to Altenkirchen. The wind turbines, which recently turned leisurely in the mild breeze, now easily put any aircraft propeller in the shade, and thick clouds have pushed themselves in front of the now low sun, the temperature sinks into the cellar in a jiffy. Autumn days are unfortunately short – but intense.
Info
No matter what time of year: a tour through the Westerwald is always worthwhile – especially because of the numerous winding roads and paths that wind through the hilly landscape.
Arrival: The Westerwald can be easily reached via several motorways. If you aim for one of the exits between Limburg and Bad Honnef / Linz on the A3, you will land in the middle of the Westerwald. The A4 takes you from the Reichshof / Eckenhagen exit to the starting point of the route described in the text. The A45 meets the eastern foothills of the Westerwald. Take the Herborn exit and drive on the B255 in the direction of Montabaur. Spend the night: In almost all places in the Westerwald there are inexpensive inns, guest houses and hotels. Campsites can be found particularly along the Lahn and Wied rivers. Addresses and further information are available from the Rhineland-Palatinate Tourism Association, Lohrstrasse 103-105, 56068 Koblenz, phone 0261/915200, fax 0261/9152040. The tip for hungry motorcyclists: “Bikers Rast” in Windeck-Dattenfeld and “Little Rock” in Herborn-Schonbach, which serve a special biker breakfast every Sunday. Worth seeing: The Westerwald Landscape Museum in Hachenburg is home to numerous antique buildings because of its half-timbered houses and collections Household items and utensils also known as the “parlor of the Westerwald”. Open every day except Monday. To the north of Hachenburg near Steinebach, the “Bindweide” iron mine was converted into a visitor mine. The mine can be visited daily from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. from April to October. Around Ransbach-Baumbach you can still marvel at the old art of pottery in some workshops in the Kannenbackerland. There is also a large pottery market in the city on the first weekend in October. The Westerwald Ceramics Museum (closed on Mondays) in Hohr-Grenzhausen provides an insight into the more than 600 years old, traditional clay processing in the region. Grenzau Castle houses another ceramics museum (open from April to November every Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning), in which artifacts from the Sayner hut are also exhibited. Below the castle, Kannenbackerstrabe begins at the “Zur Burg Grenzau” inn. There are 40 pottery shops and five smaller museums along the 36-kilometer-long road. Anyone interested in strange mechanical musical instruments should take a look around the former electoral Cologne castle in Linz. The sounding museum with its »jazzing robots« is open daily from Easter to October. In Montabaur and Linz, it is worth taking a long stroll through the old towns, where numerous half-timbered and gabled houses create a medieval atmosphere. Literature: The HB-Bildatlas “Westerwald, Taunus, Rheingau”, 14.80 Marks, is no longer on the state of the art, but it is still worthwhile to get in the mood for a tour through these regions. The individual areas and cities are briefly but adequately presented in the respective chapters. Sheets 10 and 12 of the general map of Mairs on a scale of 1: 200,000, each sheet 8.80 marks, are recommended as maps. Distance covered 250 kilometers, time expenditure one day
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