Westerwald-Steig Stage 8: Bad Marienberg - Hachenburg (East - West)

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Hachenburg

The Westerwald-Steig trail leads from the Tourist Information Centre in the town centre to the abandoned basalt quarry, where there is plenty of information on the basalt mining which was once carried out in the area. From here, the trail carries on to the Bad Marienberg wildlife park and falconry, which is open all year round. Enjoy the famous 'Westerwald view' from the Hedwigs Tower in the wildlife park. On a clear day, you can see from here to the Siebengebirge mountain range in the west, to the Eifel region in the south and the Feldberg mountain in the east. The Westerwald-Steig trail then continues to the Kleiner and Großer Wolfstein mountains. It then leads on natural paths through leafy forest towards Stangenrod, passing a private game reserve and a disused basalt quarry. It continues through meadow paths past Stangenrod, with beautiful views of the Monsberg mountain, into the Wäschbach Valley and to Unnau-Korb, where there are train connections. Take the 'Philosophenweg' path in the direction of the Hachenburg town forest to reach the Jewish cemetery, with its impressive view of the Siebengebirge. In Hachenburg, visit the lovely museum of natural and cultural history. The highlight of the museum is the Baroque hunting arsenal which once belonged to Count von Sayn-Hachenburg. An open-air museum houses a group of old buildings which have been transported from their original locations to the museum, including a school, mill house, barn, bake house, oil mill, poor house and a village fountain with a herb garden. Don't miss the Baroque castle and the market square with the Löwenbrunnen fountain, the 'Gasthaus zur Krone' restaurant and the pretty half-timbered houses.
Access paths (marking: green W on a yellow background)