Long Distance Hiking
Route profile
Notice
In the tour planner we inform you under the tab "Current info" about temporary route changes, closures and detours.
To the Tour Planer
High above the river Sieg stands the medieval Freusburg, which today offers modern accommodation as a youth hostel and is also the ideal starting point for your hike on the new 1st stage (since the end of 2024) of the Druidensteig. A panoramic path connects Freusburg at the height of the town of Kirchen - it offers wonderful views of the Sieg valley. You can enjoy the natural region at Brühlkopf and a little later you are standing directly in front of the 9 meter high peace cross near Wehbach with a view of the Asdorf valley and in the direction of the former Friedrichshütte.
Other stops on your hiking tour include: the Molzberg with a view of the imposing buildings of the Jung Jungenthal company, which was known worldwide for locomotive construction for a whole century from 1885, as well as the Alexanderhöhe with what is certainly the most beautiful view of the center of the town of Kirchen, before you reach your destination with the important cobalt mine at Alexander in Kirchen, which was only rediscovered in 2021.
By car, take the B 62 federal highway to Freusburg (located between Kirchen and Siegen). Here, leave the federal highway and follow the signs towards the Freusburg youth hostel until you reach Kapellenweg in Alt-Freusburg.
Getting there by public transport
The journey takes you to the Freusburg-Siedlung train station. The stop is served by the Westerwald-Sieg-Bahn (RB90) and the Rothaar-Bahn (RB93), which also connects the train stations in Kirchen, Betzdorf and Siegen.
Timetable information at www.dreilaenderbahn.de
A marked access path (yellow Druidensteig sign) about 2 kilometers long connects the Freusburg-Siedlung train station with the start of the stage in the center of Freusburg, Kapellenweg. The corresponding access path is available for download here: www.druiden-steig.de/cms/index.php/downloads/gpx-tracks.
Back to the start of the stage
At the Kirchen (Sieg) train station you can board the Westerwald-Sieg-Bahn (RB90) or the Rothaar-Bahn (RB93), both of which stop at the Freusburg-Siedlung train station.
Timetable information at www.dreilaenderbahn.de
Free parking at the end of Kapellenweg in Freusburg (opposite the cemetery/Evangelical chapel).
Satnav input: Kapellenweg 10, 57548 Kirchen (Sieg)
You start your hike in front of the Otto Pfeiffer Museum and past the Evangelical Chapel in Alt-Freusburg. A small path leads you up towards the castle complex (now a youth hostel) in a fantastic location high above the Sieg valley, where the Counts of Sayn once lived. Not far from the castle, the Wilhelmine mine is considered one of the most important mines in the region.
On a Sieg panoramic path below the so-called Hubenhof between Freusburg and Kirchen and further over the Brühlkopf, the Druidensteig logo leads you to the Peace Cross and then directly to Wehbach in the Asdorf valley, where there was once a rolling mill and later the important Friedrichshütte. For a stop in Wehbach, the restaurants "Landgasthof Hüttenschenke" and "Zum Ventil", around 800 m from the Druidensteig hiking trail, are recommended.
In Niederasdorf you cross the Asdorf on a narrow walking path and follow the stream past the forest cemetery in the direction of Kirchen. From there we take the leisurely climb towards the Riegel district and further to the Molzberg to the old post road. Above the sports and leisure facilities we make our way to the Alexanderhöhe with a hand-made, artistic hiking bench by the chainsaw artist Robin Rosenthal from Niederfischbach. From here we have the most beautiful view of the town center of Kirchen (Sieg).
After a rest, it's now only downhill and a little later you take the walking path above the Sieg to the Alexanderhardt tunnels. On newly designed information gabions you will learn a lot of interesting facts and history about a roof slate tunnel of the time, and also about the tunnel that was only opened in 2021 by the Siegerland native Dr. André Hellmann rediscovered the 18th century cobalt ore mine, whose mouth was first uncovered and then redesigned. A reconstruction on a small display board also gives you an idea of the former mine house, which stood on this site until 1964.
You continue along the path through the "Am Riegel" park to the combined Ruhr-Sieg cycle path (cyclists/hikers) and cross the Sieg river until the path joins Bahnhofstrasse. Just a few more meters and you have reached the station square, where numerous places to stop for refreshments (café, restaurant, ice cream parlor, pizzeria) await you.
If you think that certain sections of the trail are impassable for you, you should avoid them. Especially in adverse weather conditions, natural trails can become muddy and slippery. In autumn in particular, you should be aware that leaves lying on the ground can cover bumps, roots, stones or holes in the trail. You must expect this type of disruption to the trail when you go hiking. Although the trail is very well marked throughout, for safety reasons you should always have a suitable hiking map with you or download the free "Experience Rhineland-Palatinate" app.
Wear sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate, practical clothing that protects you from the cold and wet, or from the heat and sun. Take enough liquid with you. There are not always places to stop for refreshments. Please wear hiking boots that are suitable for the route and that offer sufficient grip even on slippery and steep or rocky and uneven paths.
Take a breather on the hand-crafted, artistic hiking bench on Alexanderhöhe and enjoy the most beautiful panoramic view of the town of Kirchen (Sieg)!
A KOMPASS hiking map North including the Druidensteig is available from the Westerwald Shop.
Kirchen train station, Bahnhofstraße 17, 57548 Kirchen (Sieg)
Otto-Pfeiffer-Museum, Burgstraße 11, 57548 Kirchen-Freusburg
More information & GPX download
Notice
In the tour planner we inform you under the tab "Current info" about temporary route changes, closures and detours.
To the Tour Planer