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Windecker Land
Windecker Land
Country party
If you have a little appetite for excursions in between, the “Windecker Landchen” offers everything you need for a well-kept weekend trip: sleek streets, cute villages and lots of landscape.
Peter Dickmeyer
05/16/2001
If there is a saying that applies to the Windecker Land, it is that of the good, for which you don’t have to go far. Just 50 kilometers from the greater Cologne area, at the southeastern tip of North Rhine-Westphalia, is the local recreation area through which the picturesque Sieg meanders. And so Klaus and I, as residents of the Ruhr area, arrived in the country with our cruisers in no time at all. Already around noon we stop for the first break in the hotel-restaurant »Lowenburg« in the idyllic village of Herchen (who actually thinks up city names?). After we have removed the ignition key in front of the mighty medieval quarry stone walls, we take another close look at the practical cycling map that Klaus has pocketed on the sun terrace. When we get back on our saddles, the actually tiny Windecker Land proves to be astonishingly versatile in the repertoire of routes. A lot of cruiser route in a confined space. The corner is just not particularly suitable for speed records. It is advisable not to lock the gas tap at the stop if you want to avoid the inclined position in a curve increasing involuntarily. Because although most of the roads are in pretty good condition, potholes, ruts or gravel have to be reckoned with all the time – quite apart from the fact that the landscape is far too idyllic to crumble through full pipe. We cruise in bright sunshine through blooming orchards, lush green meadows and forests, in the shade of which there is a pleasant smell of resin and coniferous wood. Since the good impression that the “Lowenburg” left has not faded in the evening, we decide to return there and settle in the nice rooms of the hotel. The next morning we can’t leave without talking to a couple of early risers about their motorcycle careers. When we finally sit in the saddle, we start to the climax of the Windecker Land ?? we drive to its namesake, Windeck Castle, enthroned on a ridge above Sieg. Its history is documented until the 12th century, when it was the official residence of Count von Berg. Below the historic walls is Altwindeck, which was previously named the so-called Landesgolddorf in the competition “Our village should be more beautiful”. Yes, there really is. And when you chug through the narrow streets, past neat half-timbered houses, neatly landscaped front gardens and freshly swept sidewalks, you believe it immediately. Pure country idyll. In Dattenfeld, one of the metropolises of the Windecker Landchen, we stop at the »Burgcafe«, which is not only known for its cuisine, but where you can also stay cheaply. Since it is clearly too early to sleep, we only test the menu. And finally, satisfied and with a full stomach, we go on a detour to the translator Berg. This is where the legendary Bikers Rast motorcycle meeting point can be found. As soon as we have found the cozy wooden hut in the middle of the forest, we are greeted by Blacky. The black mixed breed dog is the mascot of the rest station and is part of the inventory.Bikers Rast, as the name suggests, is completely dedicated to the needs of two-wheeler pilots. So you are not only served hearty meals here, but also get a lot more on offer. During the summer months, the schedule is packed with motorcycle-related events. The look into the guest book is also exciting. The rind reads like the register of an atlas. Motorbike tourists from pretty much every corner of the planet have immortalized themselves here with nice sayings and doodles. All the more astonishing, we find out that the highly praised little country is hardly noticed as a local recreation area. At the weekends in particular, the region between the Westerwald and the Oberbergisches is a delightful alternative to the Eifel, which is already overpopulated with low-flying aircraft. Perhaps the region here is not exciting enough for many. Rather the exact opposite is the case. A real country.
Info
Whether a day trip or a long weekend, the Windecker Landchen especially offers tourers in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan areas a lot of driving fun in a confined space. The heart of the hilly landscape is shaped by the winding course of the Sieg, framed in the south by the mountain ranges of the Westerwald and in the north by the Nutscheidgebirge.
Overnight stay: It is easy to find accommodation in Windecker Land even without prior notification. Because the region has a large number of hotels and pensions. The “Parkhotel Lowenburg” in Herchen, (phone 02243/2525, fax 3417) is not a luxury hostel, but rustic charm and rustic cosiness easily make up for it. One night costs 68 marks per person including breakfast. In the hotel and motorcycle meeting point “Burgcafe” in Dattenfeld (phone 02292/2733) you can not only eat well, but also stay overnight for 60 marks including breakfast. Here is a small selection of hotels and inns, if you still want to make a reservation: Gasthaus Wilmeroth in Mauel, phone 02292/91330; Gasthof Hurster Hof in Hurst, phone 02292/5473; Peso’s country house in Leuscheid, phone 02292/3026; Hotel Bergischer Hof in Schladern, phone 02292/2283; Hotel Auermuhle in Au, phone 02682/251; Hotel Haus Friedenthal in Irsen, phone 02686/1487. Hotel Waldschlobchen in Alsen, phone 02292/2791. Worth seeing: Windeck Castle and the local history museum in Altwindeck, the waterfall in Schladern, the basalt crater near Kuchhausen) and of course the motorcycle meeting point “Bikers Rast” are among the special places to go in the Windecker Landchen. LiteratureSpecial literature about the Windecker Landchen is rather rare. Most of the time, the region in the triangle Cologne-Bonn-Siegen is integrated into various travel guides. For example in the HB Bildatlas “Sauerland” with maps, route suggestions, addresses and essays for 16.80 Marks. The “Deutschland Rad-Tourenkarte Sauerland, Siegerland, Bergisches Land” for 14.80 Marks also proves to be very useful. In addition to the very detailed map, there is a well-researched booklet with addresses and tips Hotels and restaurants, street maps and tourist guides. Can be reached by calling 02243/3096 or 02292/194 33 and on the Internet at h / www.windecker-laendchen.de /
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