Westerwald-Steig Stage 3: Fuchskaute - Rennerod (East - West)

Description

Passing the Fuchskauten-Scheune restaurant and guesthouse, the trail leads downhill along the slopes at the edge of the forest until it reaches Rehe and the recreation area at the Krombach dam. It then follows a disused railway line as far as the Alsberg military barracks, passing the Hexenbaum, the Botterweck basalt boulder and the three emperor oak trees, before reaching Rennerod.

Approach

B414 to the Fuchskaute exit (D-56479 Willingen)

Public transport

There are no public transport links to the Fuchskaute. If you are travelling without a car, you should take the train and bus to Rennerod and take a taxi from there to the starting point at the Fuchskaute. Hikers who have left their car at the Fuchskaute should take a taxi for the return journey from Rennerod.
www.bahn.de
www.rmv-bus.de

Parking

Car park of the 'Fuchskaute' Hotel-Restaurant

Directions

The 657 meter high Fuchskaute is one of the most popular destinations of the Westerwald all year round for the locals and their guests. Panoramic views across pastures and descents into the pine forests accompany your hike. Pause to admire the Fuhrländ wind turbines on your way down the slope. The trail emerges from the pine forests and looks out over the open countryside again. It then leads past the outskirts of Homberg, before taking a narrow path down to the Christian rest home. Just before the rest home, the trail turns right into the forest and continues along the River Rehbach, soon turns left and then right again along the river and through the forest. The trail bypasses an industrial estate and passes the town's swimming pool to return to the river. It then passes a playground and follows Bergstraße straight to the town hall. The 18th century half-timbered town hall boasts a decorative door with colourful carved wooden ornamentation. The trail takes Rathausstraße out of the town. We leave Rehe and follow the trail through meadows and pastures in the direction of the Krombach dam. The south eastern part of the dam belongs to the state of Hesse. The northern part of the lake is designated as a 26 hectare nature reserve. Grebes and coots breed here and it is also a popular resting place for migratory birds. There are campsites, a restaurant and a boat hire company on the part of the lake which does not belong to the nature reserve. The trail then follows a disused railway track past the grounds and buildings of the Alsberg military barracks. You can now either take Bahnhofstraße into the town centre or continue on the Westerwald-Steig trail to the Hexenbaum, the Botterweck basalt boulder and the three emperor oak trees and enter the town via Friedhofsweg instead.
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 birdwatchers: bird watching station on the western bank of the Krombach Valley dam (great crested grebes and coots breed here; migratory birds often use the nature reserve as a resting place)

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

Rennerod

Starting Point

Fuchskaute