Hiking Trail
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
The Westerwald-Steig trail passes the St Joseph House in Hausen and heads over the Malberg mountain to the Rhine. The 373m high Malberg looks like a crater, but its lake is not volcanic – it was created by the former basalt mine here. You can ski here in the winter, but the ski hut is open all year round to cater for hikers. The Westerwald-Steig trail ends in Rheinbrohl with one more highlight – the RömerWelt living Roman history museum.
A3 to the Neustadt (Wied) exit (35), then take the L270 towards Asbach/Neustadt/Obersteinebach/Niedersteinebach/Hümmerich/Krunkel, and continue on the K88 and K90 towards Waldbreitbach
From Neuwied or Neustadt: L255 to Waldbreitbach
Directions by Public Transport
Travel by train to Bad Hönningen station is possible.
Return to the start of the stage
Return journey from Bad Hönningen to Waldbreitbach: bus line 146 (daily).
Bus stop in Bad Hönningen: Bad Hönningen Bahnhof (a 1.7 km access path leads to the main trail).
Bus stop in Waldbreitbach: Waldbreitbach Marktstraße (from here, a 600 m access path leads to the main trail).
www.bahn.de
Taxi Recommendations:
Auto Schmidt, Waldbreitbach/Breitscheid, Tel. 02638/340
Taxi Wiedtal, Waldbreitbach, Tel. 02638/94444
Waldbreitbach: Car park Marktstraße, 56588 Waldbreitbach
Rheinbrohl-Arienheller: Experience Museum RömerWelt, Arienheller 1, 56598 Rheinbrohl
The final stage of the WesterwaldSteig leads you into the Rhine Valley to Bad Hönningen. At 13 km, it is not too long and leaves enough time for a detour to St. Marienhaus above Waldbreitbach before starting. The convent, with its neo-Gothic church and herb garden featuring biblical plants, planted by the Franciscan sisters, is accessible via the Klosterweg (Monastery Path). This detour is well worth the visit.
Right after starting the stage, you pass by St. Josefshaus, the motherhouse of the Franciscan brothers in Hausen. You climb narrow paths up the Malberg, where a ski hut open all year round offers a stunning view of the Wied Valley and invites you to rest. Soon, the trail reaches the first Limes tower and offers a view across the Rhine Valley into the Eifel. The WesterwaldSteig meets the Rheinsteig in Arienheller, between Rheinbrohl and Bad Hönningen (320 kilometres from Wiesbaden to Bonn). Here, it is worth visiting the Limes Experience Centre "Römerwelt." The Limes-Romanus, a 550-kilometre-long boundary wall between the Rhine and the Danube, began in Rheinbrohl. The Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005 and is an outstanding archaeological monument. The Roman historian Tacitus referred to the beginning of the Limes-Romanus as "Caput Limitis" - the Head of the Limes. The Roman culture of the south still seems to be present in the Rhine Valley today. Vines, peach, and fig trees grow here, proving once again that the Rhine Valley is one of the mildest regions in Germany.
Access routes (marked with a green "W" on a yellow background):
Wear sturdy shoes and appropriate, weatherproof clothing that protects you from cold and wet or heat and sun.Take enough liquid with you. There are not always places to stop for refreshments.Please wear walking shoes appropriate for the trail, which will 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 passable for you, then you should avoid them. Especially in adverse weather conditions, muddy and slippery passages can occur on natural paths.Especially in autumn, you should also be aware that leaves lying on the ground can hide uneven surfaces, roots, stones or holes in the path. You must expect path impairments of this kind when you undertake a hike.Although the trail is very well marked throughout, you should always have a suitable hiking map with you for safety reasons.
Hiking boots/shoes
Suitable weatherproof clothing
For families with children: visit the RömerWelt (living Roman history museum)
- Wanderkarte-Leporello Westerwald-Steig, hiking map with GPS data and tips for day trips, rest stops and leisure activities, map size (w x h): 18 x 20 cm, 39 pages in total, including 29 pages of maps, ISBN 978-3-89920-461-2, €8.95 - Official WesterWaldSteig trail map for hikers and holidaymakers, 1:50 000 scale map, LVermGeo Rheinland-Pfalz, ISBN 978-3-89637-406-6, €8.50
Bad Hönningen
Waldbreitbach
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