Wiedweg Stage 02 Linden - Höchstenbach

Description

The Wied source springs under the roots of a centuries-old beech tree. From there, you start and follow the Wied towards Dreifelden, where you can admire the oldest stone church in the Westerwald, the Dreifaltigkeitskirche. On the shore of Dreifelder Weiher, the largest body of water in the Westerwald lake district, you take a break on one of the benches, let your soul dangle, and enjoy the breathtaking landscape. You follow the Wiedweg and leave the Dreifelder Weiher nature reserve, continuing towards the Upper Wied valley where you encounter the Steinebach sculpture park on the Wied. The cultural-historical symbols illustrate the landscape’s characteristics in the form of five "sculptures on path and brook." The Upper Wiedtal nature reserve offers a home to many plants and animal species with its floodplain landscapes, wet meadows, and biotopes. You accompany the Wied to the town of Höchstenbach, where your first stage of the Wiedweg ends.

Approach

By car via the A3 to the Montabaur exit, via the B255 and B8 to Freilingen and the L303 to Linden.

Public transport

Arrival by public transport

Train from Cologne or Limburg to Hachenburg station, from there about an 8-minute walk to the Hachenburg Markt bus stop and then change to one of the following bus lines to the Linden (Westerwald) stop:
- Bus line 430 (Monday to Friday, travel time: approx. 21 minutes)
- Bus line 431 (one connection Monday to Friday, travel time: approx. 17 minutes)
- Bus line 433 (two connections Monday to Friday, travel time: approx. 13 minutes)

Return to stage start

Return trip from Höchstenbach to Linden: Bus line 420 to Hachenburg Markt and then with bus line 433 to Linden (Monday to Friday, total travel time between 32 and 50 minutes).
Bus stop Höchstenbach: Gas station, Höchstenbach (directly located on the Wiedweg)
Bus stop Linden: Linden (Westerwald) (Follow the main street towards Lochum for a few meters, then turn left into Bornstraße after a few meters. Then go straight ahead for about 250 m to the main path at the Wied source).

www.bahn.de | www.vrm.info

Taxi companies:

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

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

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

Hehn Tourism: Alpenrod, Tel.: 02662/3366

Taxi Hilgers: Bad Marienberg, Tel.: 02661/5055

Taxi company Kevin Nagel: Bad Marienberg, Tel.: 02661/5949

Taxi Uwe Bischoff: Altenkirchen, Tel.: 02681/2222

Taxi Uwe Bischoff: Wissen, Tel.: 02742/1055

Taxi rental Jaung, Reinhold: Hamm/Sieg, Tel.: 02682/8555

Parking

Linden: Free parking at the community center, Waldstraße 12, 57629 Linden (approx. 600 m to the Wied source); alternatively at the Linden cemetery, end of Waldstraße.

Note: no parking directly at the Wied source/start point!

Höchstenbach: Free parking at the cemetery, Friedhofstraße 57629 Höchstenbach

Directions

The second stage of the Wiedweg starts at the source of its namesake, the Wied, in Linden. The Wied source, framed with natural stone, lies beneath the root system of a several-hundred-year-old beech tree. Before setting out on the hike, you inform yourself about your exact location and the surroundings on the information board.

You cross the L303 and follow the Wiedweg for about 600 meters on a natural path before turning right after 200 meters. After a short stretch on a gravel road, you turn left onto a path that crosses the Waldstraße after around 300 meters and continues straight ahead for about 400 meters to Triftstraße. You continue on the path on the other side for 800 meters, leave the Dreifelden cemetery on the right, and then turn right onto a gravel road. After a few meters, keep right again and follow the Wiedweg for 500 meters to Dreifelden. At Wiedbachstraße, you make a detour to the right to the Dreifaltigkeitskirche. Then you go back and follow the street around a right curve before turning right onto a natural path. After about 100 meters, turn left, shortly afterwards right, and approach the Dreifelder Weiher.

You follow the path, cross a small bridge, and after 200 meters turn left to follow the pond for 2.4 kilometers parallel to the shore and eventually to the other side of the lake to the Haus am See campsite. You enjoy the view of the water and refresh yourself a little before turning right onto a gravel road that after 200 meters turns into a natural path. Follow this for about 400 meters to the shore of the Hofmannsweiher and again about 1.1 kilometers further. Then turn left onto a 500-meter gravel road and sharply right onto a natural path.

After 800 meters, you reach the Steinebach Sculpture Park on the Wied. An information board introduces you to the cultural-historical symbols in the Upper Wied Valley, and you admire the basalt column, a female figure made of oak wood, the meadow weir made of steel and wood, as well as the spring symbol for the "Heiligenborn". Then continue hiking towards Steinebach an der Wied. After about 900 meters, you are in the center of the town and cross Hachenburger Straße. You cross the Steinebach and come across the Mühlenweg. Follow this to the right up to Wiedstraße and turn left. Then hike almost straight ahead for about six kilometers through the Upper Wiedtal nature reserve towards Höchstenbach until you reach the endpoint Born’s Imbiss.

Safety instructions

• Wear sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate, functional clothing that protects you from cold and wet or heat and sun.
• Bring enough fluids. There are not always refreshment options available. Please wear proper hiking shoes that give you sufficient grip even on slippery and steep or rocky and uneven paths.
• If you think certain sections are not passable for you, you should avoid them. Especially in bad weather, natural paths can become muddy and slippery.
• In autumn, pay attention that fallen leaves on the ground can cover unevenness, roots, stones, or holes in the path. Expect path impairments of this kind when hiking.
• Although the path is very well marked throughout, you should always carry a suitable hiking map for safety reasons.
• Not suitable for strollers
• Not suitable for wheelchair users

Equipment

Sturdier footwear recommended!

Tips

At Dreifelder Weiher, the largest lake in the Westerwald lake district, you can relax on a bench and enjoy the magnificent landscape.

Literature

Topographic map 1:25,000 "Ferienland Westerwald Blatt 1", 5th edition 2014 (ISBN 978-3-89637-253-6) Price: €5.00, order here!

Destination

Born’s Imbiss, Koblenzer Straße, 57629 Höchstenbach

Starting Point

Wied source at L303 in 57629 Linden