Westerwald lake district - 7-pond hiking trail Südschleife

Description

Varied, close to nature, and full of discoveries: The southern loop of the 7-Ponds Hiking Trail leads through the charming plateau of the Westerwald Lake District. The starting point is the parking lot on the B8 at the Postweiher pond. From there, you hike past three idyllic ponds along the B8, over narrow paths, historic trails, and small bridges to the impressive Dreifelder Weiher pond – the largest lake in the region.

Along the way, you'll see the headwaters of the Holzbach stream, a forest playground for families, fascinating information panels on flora and fauna, and a detour to the old church in Dreifelden.

The Wölferlinger Weiher pond is circumnavigated from a respectful distance to protect the rare birdlife.

Enjoy nature, history, and quiet retreats – all in one tour.

Approach

From Hachenburg:

We leave Hachenburg via Steinebacher Straße and follow it to the town exit. There we continue on the L 292 to Steinebach. In Steinebach, we continue straight on Hachenburger Straße to the town exit, where we again follow the L 292. At the end of the L 292, we turn left onto the B 8 and follow it for exactly 4.0 km. Then we turn right into the large parking lot of the campsite at Postweiher.

From Selters (from the southwest):

We drive on the L 304 to Freilingen. There we turn left onto Hohe Straße and follow it for 1.0 km. The campsite parking lot is on the left.

From Westerburg (from the east):

We leave Westerburg via Langenhahner Straße and turn right at the end onto the L 288. We follow this to Hinterkirchen, where we turn left onto Westerburger Straße. At the intersection with the B 255 (Koblenzer Straße), turn left, then slightly right onto Freilinger Straße. Follow the L 304 to Freilingen, where you turn right from Wölferlinger Straße onto Hohe Straße. After 1.0 km, the campsite parking lot is on the left.

Public transport

With bus line 463 from Bad Marienberg

Taxi company:

Taxi Schmidt: Hachenburg, Tel.: 02662/6119 or 02662/6688

Taxi Uwe Bischoff: Hachenburg, Tel.: 02662/944444

Taxi Kappi-Tullius: Hachenburg, Tel.: 02662/939390

Taxi Hetzler: Selters, Tel.: 02626/6445

Parking

Freilingen: Free parking at the Freilingen campsite, Hohe Str. 30, 56244 Freilingen.

Directions

Our hike begins at the parking lot on the B8, which is also used by visitors to the campsite and lido at Postweiher. From here, we follow the trail northwest, past the miniature golf course. We soon reach a historic path that leads us around the idyllic Hausweiher lake with the Schönerlen campsite. After crossing the B8, the dam path runs between the Brinkenweiher nature reserve and the Postweiher recreation area. Numerous information boards along the trail inform us about the special features and significance of the nature reserve. Before reaching the K 138, we cross the headwaters of the Holzbach stream – a remarkable stream that feeds the three ponds along the B8 and only flows into the Wied River 40 kilometers after its origin. A special highlight for families is the forest playground near Dreifelden, which we pass through later in the tour. At the parking lot opposite, we finally reach the northern loop of the 7-Pond Trail. Along with the European long-distance hiking trail E1, the trail continues along narrow paths and small bridges to the southern end of the Dreifelder Weiher, the largest lake in the Westerwald Lake District. From there, we reach the village of Dreifelden, where the hiking trail takes us past the remarkable church—one of the oldest in the Westerwald. We then cross the young Wied River and hike through a small park out of the village and up into the hills. There, we enjoy a magnificent view of the Dreifelder Weiher before tackling the final section of our hike.

Safety instructions

• Wear sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate, functional clothing that protects you from cold and wet or heat and sun.Take enough liquid with you. Refreshments are not available everywhere.Please put on appropriate hiking shoes on the way, which give you sufficient grip even on slippery and steep or rocky and uneven paths.If you are of the opinion that certain sections of the trail are not accessible to you, then you should bypass them.
• Especially in adverse weather conditions, muddy and slippery passages can occur on natural paths.In autumn in particular, it is also important to note that the leaves lying on the ground can cover bumps, roots, stones or holes in the path.
• You have to reckon with path impairments of this kind when you go on a hike.Although the path is very well marked throughout, you should always have a suitable hiking map with you for safety reasons.

Equipment

• Wear sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate, practical clothing that protects you from cold and wet weather, as well as heat and sun.
• Bring plenty of fluids. Refreshment stops are not available everywhere.
• Please wear appropriate hiking boots that provide adequate grip even on slippery and steep, or rocky and uneven, paths.

Tips

At the Hochsitz am Dreifelder Weiher we should take our time to enjoy the view of the lake.

Literature

Topographic map 1:25000 Ferienland Westerwald sheet 1, ISBN: 978-3-89637-253-6

Destination

Steinen-Dreifelden forest playground, Seeburger Straße, 56244 Steinen

Starting Point

Steinen-Dreifelden forest playground, Seeburger Straße, 56244 Steinen