The Westerwald leads in a loop through the charming landscape of the Westerwald and offers a particularly beautiful route with wonderful wide views. It is an easy to medium tour with moderate climbs. This is a loop that uses part of the Rothaarsteig.
Both Dillenburg and the cold ponds are possible as starting points for the Westerwald variant, also other of course.
If you start in Dillenburg:
Here the Westerwald variant and the main path of the Rothaarsteig (Dill variant) separate in the courtyard garden. We choose the Westerwald variant and follow the signs towards Fuchskaute. Above Donsbach, the Rothaarsteig then leads to the Kornberg (453 m). To the north you are rewarded with a beautiful panorama to the Haincher Höhe and the Lahn-Dill-Bergland. The view of the Taunus to the south extends to the Dünsberg (498 m) in the Gießen basin, to the Stoppelberg (402 m) near Wetzlar and to the highest peaks of the Taunus. A number of viewpoints are signposted on a granite block on the Kornberg. Following the Old Rhine Road, the Rothaarsteig meets the "Wildweiberhäuschen", a 40 m high rock wall that rises vertically just a few meters from the Aubach. Many prehistoric finds were found on the coral lime rock, which can be admired in the Haiger local museum. The Rothaarsteig now leads uphill along the Aubach to Rabenscheid. At times the Aubach is milky and cloudy. A result of nearby kaolin mining. Kaolin is a particularly high quality, white clay mineral, which has a variety of uses in industry. After Rabenscheid, the path runs close to the "Dreiländereck", where North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate have a common border point. Now there are still about 4 km until the Rothaarsteig reaches the Fuchskaute (657 m). The Fuchskaute, a large nature and bird sanctuary, is the highest mountain in the Westerwald and at the same time the point where two top trails of Germany meet.
Shortly before Weißenberg, the Rothaarsteig trail reaches the Ketzerstein natural monument (612m) - the visible remnant of a basalt lava flow. The needle of your compass is probably going crazy right at the heretic stone. The reason is the magnetic deflection prevailing here. From the Ketzerstein you have a beautiful view of the Hohen Westerwald. The hill villages Weißenberg and Liebenscheid are the next stops and then it goes up to the Siegerland airport. At the beginning of the altitude - one to 598 m above sea level. NHN towering ridge - you reach the place Lützeln. While the highest peak of the Höh remained nameless, two smaller mountains were named very memorably: The Large Stone (546 m) is lower than the Small Stone (587 m), which obviously has nothing to do with the height, but the extent . The Großer Stein is a cone-shaped mountain top with a tree-free block sea: an area made up of blocks of volcanic rock. These basalt blocks are often covered with rare mosses and lichens. Walking through open landscapes, you pass the village of Würgendorf and then you reach the cold pond, where the Westerwald variant of the Rothaarsteig meets the main path again. On the main path, the so-called dill variant, you now turn southeast towards Dillenburg. On your way there you come to the Luca oak. This imposing tree is at least 230 years old and almost burned down in 1978. You leave Rodenbach and Manderbach behind and return to the orange town of Dillenburg. These basalt blocks are often covered with rare mosses and lichens. Walking through open landscapes, you pass the village of Würgendorf and then you reach the cold pond, where the Westerwald variant of the Rothaarsteig meets the main path again. On the main path, the so-called dill variant, you now turn southeast towards Dillenburg. On your way there you come to the Luca oak. This imposing tree is at least 230 years old and almost burned down in 1978. You leave Rodenbach and Manderbach behind and return to the orange town of Dillenburg. These basalt blocks are often covered with rare mosses and lichens. Walking through open landscapes, you pass the village of Würgendorf and then you reach the cold pond, where the Westerwald variant of the Rothaarsteig meets the main path again. On the main path, the so-called dill variant, you now turn southeast towards Dillenburg. On your way there you come to the Luca oak. This imposing tree is at least 230 years old and almost burned down in 1978. You leave Rodenbach and Manderbach behind and return to the orange town of Dillenburg. Dill variant, now turn southeast towards Dillenburg. On your way there you come to the Luca oak. This imposing tree is at least 230 years old and almost burned down in 1978. You leave Rodenbach and Manderbach behind and return to the orange town of Dillenburg. Dill variant, now turn southeast towards Dillenburg. On your way there you come to the Luca oak. This imposing tree is at least 230 years old and almost burned down in 1978. You leave Rodenbach and Manderbach behind and return to the orange town of Dillenburg.
Submitter: Joeren
