Erlebnisweg Sieg | Auenlandweg | Wissen/Blickhausen

Description

The mysteriously appearing forests and idyllic meadow landscapes around the small village of Blickhausen remind of the "Shire", the home of the hobbits in the fantasy classic "The Lord of the Rings". You walk under mighty oak trees on rustic paths accompanied by the babbling of the Firzelsbach stream through meadows and floodplains. On the circular walk, numerous artfully carved wooden mythical creatures surprise you. Wizards, dwarves, and tree people await you along the way. Through mystical forests, over narrow trails above the Sieg and along wide meadow landscapes, you hike in an adventure world.

Approach

By car: A 560, connecting to B 8 towards Uckerath, Weyerbusch, Altenkirchen. Continue on B 256 and B 62 to Wissen. In Wissen, turn towards Schönstein, at Schloss Schönstein turn left onto K 126 towards Mittelhof. After a small forest, turn onto K 129 towards Blickhausen to the hiking car park.

Current notice:

Due to construction work, access to the car parks/the starting point coming from 57537 Wissen (Schönstein district) is not possible via district road K 126 (Fürst-Hatzfeldt-Str.). The signed detour leads via L 278 to Mittelhof (town center) and from there via K 126 to Blickhausen.

Public transport

Perfect train connection with the Rhein-Sieg Express (RE 9/Aachen-Siegen), the Westerwald-Sieg train RB 90 (Limburg-Siegen).

Wissen (Sieg) station: RE 9 and RB 90

Current departure times Wissen station

From Wissen station, follow the access path to the Natursteig Sieg towards Scheuerfeld.

Parking

Hiking car park at Blickhausen on the K 129 (50°46’40.6"N 7°46’23.0"E)

After the first small hiking car park at the starting point in Blickhausen, there is another larger car park about 500 m away in the direction of Hof Auen. Please do not park on the local farm lanes (parking forbidden) or on agricultural land or their driveways.

If these car parks are already full, there is another hiking car park below Schloss Schönstein in Wissen, Frankenthal street (B 62). From here, you can reach the Auenlandweg in about 1 km via the Heubrücke (bridge over the Sieg) past Schloss Schönstein (please follow the blue marking of the Natursteig Sieg).

There is also a hiking car park in 57537 Mittelhof, Betzdorfer Landstraße (about 100 m from Mittelhof town center in the direction of Wissen on the district road). From there, follow the district road towards Wissen about 1 km via Hüngesberg to Oberkrombach, then turn right towards Blickhausen to the starting point.

Directions

Start at the hiking car park in Blickhausen. From the car park, the path initially leads a short way along a paved road on the outskirts of Blickhausen. Shortly afterward, the path turns off into a field lined with dense forest. Mighty oaks stand at the edge of the path. Then the circular route takes you to a fork in the road; behind the farm, the path winds deeper into the dark forest. Over roots and stones, you walk on narrow trails along the steep slope above the Sieg through a legendary natural landscape. You continue to follow the path, which now runs along the Firzelsbach stream. Under tall trees, you reach a paved road. Crossing this, it goes uphill back to Blickhausen. After a short stretch through the forest, you reach the starting point on soft field paths along extensive meadows.

Safety instructions

Suitable for children, but not for strollers.

It is advisable to bring your own food in a backpack, as there are no catering options.

In the winter months, wood harvesting work on some sections may affect the trail quality. If you believe certain sections are impassable, you should avoid them. Especially in bad weather conditions, natural trails can have muddy and slippery sections. In autumn, fallen leaves on the ground can also hide unevenness, roots, stones, or holes in the path. You should expect such trail impairments when hiking. Although the path is very well marked continuously, it is advisable to always carry a suitable hiking map for safety reasons.

Equipment

The Auenlandweg is well suited for families with children, but not for strollers.

The Auenlandweg is quite challenging with 100 meters of elevation on a rather short route. However, since there is so much to discover, you can manage the route without great difficulty at a leisurely pace even without special fitness. Because the path partially leads over narrow trails, make sure to wear sturdy footwear. A little caution is advised above the Sieg; the narrow paths can be slippery when it rains.

Tips

The Auenlandweg is a family hiking route of a very special kind. Especially "Lord of the Rings" fans will get their money's worth here, as the carved figures along the path combined with the mystically appealing landscape strongly resemble Middle-earth. But even children who do not know the stories about hobbits, dwarves, and elves will be thrilled by the mythical creatures along the route.

Every year, the hiking magazine "Germany’s Most Beautiful Hiking Route" awards prizes in the categories of day and multi-day tours. The Auenlandweg took 2nd place in the day tours category and is Germany’s second most beautiful hiking route!

Literature

Brochure Erlebniswege Sieg

Destination

Hiking car park at Blickhausen on K 129

Starting Point

Hiking car park at Blickhausen on K 129