Westerwald-Steig Stage 2: Breitscheid - Fuchskaute (East - West)

Description

The trail leaves Breitscheid in the direction of the airfield and crosses a wooded ridge, which eventually opens up on a view over the field to the village of Rabenscheid. The trail disappears into the forest again and leads down to the Heisterberger Weiher lake. It follows along the banks of the lake as far as the road to Heisterberg, through a landscape of hedge-lined meadows. You'll hardly notice the gentle ascent up to the highest peak (657m) in the Westerwald.

Approach

B255 to the Breitscheid exit, once in the town: Kirchstraße

Public transport

Bus from Herborn to the Breitscheid town hall (Rathaus) stop: bus no. 510
Return journey from the Fuchskaute to Breitscheid: by taxi; no buses available
www.bahn.de
www.vld-wetzlar.de

Parking

Above the church in Breitscheid

Directions

The Westerwald-Steig trail passes the 14th century church and the cemetery, with its pretty chapel, and up to the Catholic parish church, which dates from the 1960s. The trail leaves Breitscheid in the direction of the airfield and a restaurant. The clay soil and waterlogged ground make this land almost completely unsuitable for agricultural use. Pine forests, tree windbreaks and large meadows make up the landscape of the High Westerwald instead. Once the Westerwald-Steig trail crosses the wooded ridge on slightly difficult terrain, you can look to the right across the fields to the village of Rabenscheid. The first wind turbines near the Fuchskaute soon appear in the distance. The Westerwald-Steig first disappears into the woods on mixed terrain, crosses a clearing, then re-enters the forest before finally emerging on the main road to Heisterberg. The Höllberg mountain and the nearby transmitter mast, which will follow the trail for a while, now come into view. The trail continues down along the slopes of a damp meadow to the Heisterberger Weiher lake, which is a popular spot for swimming and boating, especially in the summer months. There is also a modern campsite here, which is open all year round, with fully accessible shower and toilet facilities, a children’s' playground, volleyball court, kiosk and restaurant. The River Amdorfbach flows from the Heisterberger Weiher. The trail follows the banks of the lake as far as the main road to Heisterberg, through a landscape of hedges and flowering meadows. You will hear the hum of the wind turbines as you walk through the valley and see the village of Waldaubach on your right. You will hardly notice the gentle ascent through the forest to the highest mountain (657m) in the Westerwald.
Access paths (marking: green W on a yellow background)

Safety instructions

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.

Equipment

Hiking boots/shoes
Suitable weatherproof clothing

Tips

For creative types and culture vultures: pottery course at the pottery museum in Breitscheid

Literature

- 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

Destination

Fuchskaute

Starting Point

Breitscheid