RB9 - Around Ransbach-Baumbach

Description

The Erlenhofsee, the starting and finishing point of this hike, is now a large park in the middle of the town of Ransbach-Baumbach. The clay that made the town a pottery town was once mined here. Along the hike through the forests on the edge of the Ransbach and Baumbach districts, you will repeatedly find evidence of this centuries-old tradition; bell shafts, active clay pits, modern manufacturing plants and traditional pottery workshops still characterize the townscape today. The hiking route leads in a large loop and through many forests around the still vibrant pottery town of Ransbach-Baumbach.

Approach

From Rheinstrasse in 56235 Ransbach-Baumbach, follow Südstrasse until it becomes St-Martin-Strasse. There are public parking spaces here.

Public transport

A central bus stop in Ransbach-Baumbach is located in front of the town hall. From here, a signposted connecting route (RB) leads to the starting point at Erlenhofsee. Bus line 425 connects to Montabaur. From Koblenz main station, the stop can be reached with line 485 from Monday to Saturday.

Parking

There are numerous public parking spaces available directly at the Erlenhofsee on St.-Martin-Straße in 56235 Ransbach-Baumbach. The starting point for the hike is just a few hundred meters to the east, directly on the lake shore.

Directions

A hiking car park on Meissner Strasse or at Erlenhofsee are ideal starting points. From the market square in the town centre there is an access path that divides the RB9 in two.We start at Erlenhofsee in the east of the town. We walk through shady woods to the Baumbach district and from there along local roads into a pasture landscape with views over the Kannenbäckerstadt.In one section of the forest we notice large water-filled holes. These are bell shafts in which clay was once mined underground. A shaft was dug down to the clay deposit. Instead of digging deeper and deeper, the walls were gradually cut out all around, creating an underground bell-shaped hollow in the clay deposit.Further information on the Scheid bell shaft field can be found at www.qr-kultur.de (direct link here).We head through a small valley towards Hundsdorf, where after a short climb we reach the Hardthütte. The leisure complex offers the opportunity to rest. At Hundsdorf, the Wild West of the Westerwald greets us. Numerous bison live here. The hiking trail leads right through the meadows. So be careful: when the earth shakes, it is rarely an earthquake. On the not just proverbial seven paths, we cross a country road and hike through the woods to the Ransbach district. After a short section along the edge of the settlement, the hiking trail now leads along the edge of the forest. Accompanied by a wide view over the entire town and to the Köppel behind it, we return to our starting point at the Erlenhofsee.

Equipment

Sturdy shoes.

Tips

There are still numerous pottery workshops in the town of Ransbach-Baumbach. Here you can still buy the traditional, handmade pottery of the Kannenbäckerland.

Literature

The hiking map of the Kannenbäckerland is available at the tourist information office in Höhr-Grenzhausen.

Destination

Erlenhofsee

Starting Point

Parking lot at Erlenhofsee (follow tourist signs)