Westerwald-Steig Stage 9: Hachenburg - Limbach (East - West)
This stage of the trail starts with a trip back in time in the museum of natural and cultural history, followed by a stroll through the town of the double-tailed lion and then on to the Cistercian abbey at Marienstatt.
moderate
10.8 km
3:05 h
181 m
293 m
The trail leaves the town through the gardens of Hachenburg Castle. It continues down into the second Holzbach gorge on the Westerwald-Steig trail. The trail follows the edge of Nister to the mill, which Konrad Adenauer used as a hiding place during the Nazi era. Following the river, the trail soon arrives at Marienstatt Abbey. It then passes Streithausen to reach the Kleine Nister River, which follows the path as far as Limbach, where there is a local museum to visit.
Author’s recommendation
For culture vultures: visit the Westerwald museum of natural and cultural history in Hachenburg
For car lovers: visit the Cadillac museum in Hachenburg
For beer lovers: visit the Westerwald brewery in Hachenburg or the beer gardens at Marienstatt Abbey
For herb lovers: stroll through the gardens at Marienstatt Abbey
For car lovers: visit the Cadillac museum in Hachenburg
For beer lovers: visit the Westerwald brewery in Hachenburg or the beer gardens at Marienstatt Abbey
For herb lovers: stroll through the gardens at Marienstatt Abbey

Author
Michael Sterr
Updated: August 17, 2020
Quality route according to "Wanderbares Deutschland"
Difficulty
moderate
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Highest point
372 m
Lowest point
231 m
Best time of year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Rest Stop
Backhaus Hehl - Löwencafe HehlPizzeria Westend
Gasthaus zum Weißen Ross
Taco Mexicana
Gelateria Brustolon - Eiscafé
Borak-Kebap-Haus
Pizzeria Da Peppe
Café Latsch / Bäckerei Weinbrenner
Parkhotel Hachenburg
Marienstatter Brewery
Landhotel Stockhausen
Safety information
- Tragen Sie festes Schuhwerk sowie witterungsangepasste, zweckmäßige Kleidung, die Sie vor Kälte und Nässe bzw. Hitze und Sonne schützt.
- Nehmen Sie ausreichend Flüssigkeit mit. Es sind nicht überall Einkehrmöglichkeiten vorhanden.
- Bitte ziehen Sie dem Weg angemessene Wanderschuhe an, welche Ihnen ausreichend Halt auch auf schlüpfrigen und steilen bzw. felsigen und unebenen Wegen geben.
- Sollten Sie bei bestimmten Wegeabschnitten der Meinung sein, dass diese für Sie nicht begehbar sind, dann sollten Sie diese umgehen. Gerade bei widrigen Wetterverhältnissen kann es bei naturnahen Wegen zu matschigen und rutschigen Passagen kommen.
- Besonders im Herbst ist auch darauf zu achten, dass das am Boden liegende Laub Unebenheiten, Wurzeln, Steine oder Löcher im Weg verdecken kann. Mit Wegebeeinträchtigungen dieser Art müssen Sie rechnen, wenn Sie eine Wanderung unternehmen.
- Obwohl der Weg durchgehend sehr gut markiert ist, sollten Sie aus Sicherheitsgründen immer eine geeignete Wanderkarte dabei haben.
Tips, hints and links
www.hachenburg-vg.deStart
Hachenburg (363 m)
Coordinates:
DD
50.661615, 7.822073
DMS
50°39'41.8"N 7°49'19.5"E
UTM
32U 416746 5612858
w3w
///arachnid.director.dread
Destination
Limbach
Turn-by-turn directions
The Westerwald-Steig trail leaves Hachenburg through the historical town centre and the castle gardens, crosses the railway line and offers yet another wonderful view of the Siebengebirge mountain range. The trail now descends through the second Holzbach gorge on the Westerwald-Steig trail, crossing the River Nister and following the village of Nister towards the mill, where it crosses the river once again. A plaque commemorates the fact that Konrad Adenauer briefly hid here during the Nazi era. Continue following the river to reach Marienstatt Abbey, which enjoys a good reputation in the Nister Valley. From 1476 the abbey, founded in the 12th century, was ordered by Count von Sayn to open to lay people for three days every week. This marked the beginning of pilgrimages to the abbey. The Marienwanderweg (Mary’s hiking trail) between Marienstatt Abbey and Marienthal also has its origins in this period. Today, the monastery has a brewery with a beer garden and a hikers' car park and attracts many visitors, particularly at weekends. Walk past the abbey's ancient beech and oak trees and climb about 200m to reach another viewing point. The trail then passes Streithausen to reach the Kleine Nister River, which follows the trail as far as Limbach. Here you can visit the local museum as well as the town's many restaurants.
Access paths (marking: green W on a yellow background)
Access paths (marking: green W on a yellow background)
Note
all notes on protected areas
Public transport
Train from Cologne or Limburg to HachenburgTrain to the ICE station at Montabaur, bus to ‘Hachenburg Altstadt’: bus no. 115
Return journey from Limbach to Hachenburg: by taxi to the train stop at Hattert and then with the Oberwesterwaldbahn train from Au-Limburg to Hachenburg
www.bahn.de
www.vectus-online.de
www.rmv-bus.de
Getting there
From the south: via the B8 to Höchstenbach and then continue on the B413 towards HachenburgFrom the north: via the B414 to the Hachenburg exit
Parking
Hachenburg, Westerwald museum of natural and cultural history (Leipziger Str. 1)Coordinates
DD
50.661615, 7.822073
DMS
50°39'41.8"N 7°49'19.5"E
UTM
32U 416746 5612858
w3w
///arachnid.director.dread
Arrival by train, car, foot or bike
Book recommendation by the author
- Abenteuer Westerwald-Steig, hiking guide with detailed route outlines and elevation profile, 224 pages, ISBN 978-3-93569-064-5, €12.80
- Westerwald-Steig, Schöneres Wandern Pocket, 17 half-day and full-day walks in a pocket-size map, publisher: ideemedia-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-934342-25-5, €10.95
- Rother Wanderführer Westerwald-Steig, publisher: Bergverlag Rother GmbH, from Herborn to Bad Hönningen, 112 pages with 58 colour illustrations, 16 elevation profiles, 16 1:50 000 scale hiking maps, 6 street maps, one small-scale map, ISBN 978-3-7633-4376-8, €10.90
Author’s map recommendations
- 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
Equipment
Hiking boots/shoesSuitable weatherproof clothing
Statistics
Maps and trails
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Questions and answers
Reviews
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