Druidensteig - Stage 7 from Bindweide Mine to Hachenburg

Description

You start at the Bindweide visitor mine and begin the ascent to the Steineberg Heights. There, you climb the original Barbaraturm headframe and enjoy a magnificent panoramic view. The quality hiking trail takes you down to the quaint village of Limbach with its lovingly designed local museum. The Assberg roofing slate mine awaits you as another attractive visitor mine, leading you down over 112 steps into the historic mining. The descent continues into the Nister valley towards the picturesque Marienstatt Abbey. Here, the romantic monastery garden and the monastery’s own brewery invite you to take a break. Past the Nister Mill, the stage leads you through the narrow "Kleine Holzbachschlucht" gorge up to the medieval town of Hachenburg. The Druidensteig ends at the Westerwald Landscape Museum, which tells you with its numerous exhibits about life in the Westerwald in long past times.

Approach

From Hachenburg (South): You leave Hachenburg via Nisterstraße/L288 and before Nister follow the bending priority to stay on L288. At the next intersection, turn right to continue following L288. About five kilometers later, turn right. Immediately after, turn left onto L281. Follow this road through Luckenbach and uphill to Malberg. In Malberg, turn right into Bindweider Straße. Follow this street out of Malberg to Steinebach an der Sieg, where you turn into Bindweider Straße and reach your destination, the Bindweide mine.

From Betzdorf (Northeast): You leave Betzdorf via Steinerother Straße / L288. In Steineroth, follow Betzdorfer Straße. Leave the bending priority in the town to the right to stay on Betzdorfer Straße. In Elben, turn left into Steinebacher Straße. In Steinebach an der Sieg, leave the roundabout at the second exit and then turn left onto Bindweider Straße. After about 200 m, you reach Bindweide mine.

Public transport

Arrival by public transport

From Hachenburg train station, bus line 270 runs on weekends as well to Dickendorf "In den Schmitten." A few meters away – at the Dickendorf Mill – the Druidensteig passes by. Hiking via stage 6 is thus about 3 kilometers longer. The bus ride takes about 45 minutes. At Dickendorf Mill, there is an official Druidensteig hiking parking lot.

From Betzdorf bus station, you can take bus line 270 to Dickendorf "In den Schmitten." The trip takes about 15 minutes. From Hachenburg, you can also take bus line 270 back to Betzdorf in about 1 hour.

Return to the stage start

Take bus line 270 from Hachenburg to the Rosenheim (Westerw), Kirchstraße stop. After a one-hour stay, continue with bus line 271 to Steinebach an der Sieg (Motorcycle Museum) or with bus line 276 to Steinebach an der Sieg (Bindweide Mine) (NOTE: total travel time approx. 1.5 hours each). From May 5 to approx. December 31, 2025, there is a construction site timetable where the Bindweide Mine stop cannot be served. Further information can be found on the VRM website!

Alternatively, a return by taxi is recommended.

Bus stops in Hachenburg:
- Bus station, Market: about 850 m from the main path (after 100 m you meet the WesterwaldSteig, which you follow to the Landscape Museum)
- Hachenburg station: about 800 m from the main path (follow the WesterwaldSteig access path to the Landscape Museum, where you meet the main path)

Bus stop Steinebach: Steinebach (Sieg) Motorcycle Museum (from the bus stop, follow the yellow-black marked access path approx. 500 m to the Bindweide visitor mine)

Taxi companies:

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

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

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

Parking

Steinebach a.d. Sieg: free parking lot at Bindweide visitor mine, Bindweider Straße 2, 57520 Steinebach a.d. Sieg

Hachenburg: free parking lot at Burggarten, Alexanderring (about 450 m to the main path towards the Landscape Museum)

Directions

The sixth and final stage of the GeoRoute Druidensteig begins in front of the Bindweide visitor mine in Steinebach an der Sieg.
The hiking route leads uphill above the mine forge into the forest. Along a forest nature trail, the path runs to the barbecue shelter in Steinebach. Over a gravel path, you finally reach a railway crossing and follow the track on a parallel meadow path along the forest edge.
Shortly before another railway crossing, you reach a small seating area with a beautiful view over Steinebach and the Siegerland beyond. An information board reports here about a serious accident that occurred at the Bindweide mine. A memorial plaque commemorates the many miners who lost their lives near the site in a water influx.
After a short break, you continue your way to the Steineberg Heights and now follow a path through a beech forest. Upon reaching the hilltop, you leave the forest area and stand before the impressive Barbaraturm. The historic headframe was relocated here from the Harz mountains a few years ago and converted into a lookout tower. A steel staircase winds around the tower up to the pulley wheels. You take on the challenge and climb the 19-meter-high steel tower. At the top, a spectacular view over the entire northern Westerwald and beyond into the surrounding low mountain ranges impresses you. You try to spot the stations explained on the panorama board in the distance, discovering the goal of today's stage – the Baroque palace in Hachenburg. In the reconstructed shaft house beneath the tower, there are two detailed information boards describing the historical background of the Barbaraturm and its journey from the Harz to the Westerwald.
From the Barbaraturm, you continue on the Druidensteig over a high plateau with many meadows and fields. The distant view over the Westerwald remains with you for quite a while until you finally reach the village of Molzhain. From here, it descends steeply into the Lehmbach valley. Through mixed oak forests, you now follow the GeoRoute to a small stream, which has been dammed here in the valley to a private fish pond. A gravel forest path leads further downhill. After a few hundred meters, a wooden bridge crosses the small low mountain stream. Through the quiet stream valley, you finally hike along forest and meadow paths to your next intermediate destination, the local community of Limbach.
Upon arrival in Limbach, you leave your companion, the Lehmbach, and follow a small street along well-maintained half-timbered houses to the village center, where you meet the little river Kleine Nister. You continue following the Druidensteig markings along the village road and pass the Limbach local museum. In the old half-timbered house, the inhabitants of Limbach have collected an exciting collection of historical exhibits and some curiosities. From the museum in Limbach, you begin your ascent to the Aßberg. In a residential area, you turn onto a meadow path following the slope and walk through pastures around Limbach to a cemetery. From here, the ascent to the Aßberg continues. It's also worth looking back at the Westerwald village in the Kleine Nister valley.
Upon reaching the Aßberg, the Druidensteig leads south along a forest road. From there, the path enters the woods again. The terrain now slopes slowly toward the Große Nister, and you follow wide forest paths downhill through old tree stands.
On the ridge above the Große Nister, you reach the Assberg roofing slate mine. A small shelter invites you to rest here. In a small protective anteroom, you find information about the roofing slate mining that once took place here. A steep steel staircase leads into a small mine, which offers a nice cool down, especially on hot days. You continue your hike and follow a steep stairway through the former slate quarry into the Nister valley.
The GeoRoute follows the riverbank to a narrow steel bridge and crosses the low mountain river. Over gravel forest paths, you continue through the valley in the direction of Marienstatt. Before you reach the monastery area, the Druidensteig branches off from the wide path onto a narrow forest path. Here, you reach a stone monument marking the "Imperial Cemetery" from the time of the Coalition Wars in the 18th century.
You now continue along forest paths through old tree stands. On the way along the Nister valley, you pass the Felsenstübchen. An information board tells here of an attempt to build a castle. This was once meant to be a counterpart to the monastery but was already abandoned during construction. Along steep rocks, you approach the Marienstatt monastery. Near the opposite bank, you can already see the stone walls of the monastery garden. You cross the mighty stone bridge and finally reach the monastery grounds. The large complex with its own brewery invites you to stay.
After a detour through the monastic herb garden, you continue your hike through the Große Nister valley. At the Nister Mill, you cross the little river again and finally reach the village of Nister. At the edge of Nister, a steel footbridge helps you cross the river once more. Now it goes steeply uphill. A narrow forest path follows a small stream up the mountain. You follow the lush green valley, the small Holzbach gorge, up to the Nister heights. In the upper part, the path becomes almost a staircase with numerous steps. Upon reaching the hilltop, you follow a short section of a railway line to a bridge. Here you find a small picnic area that offers a welcome opportunity to rest after the steep ascent.
After enjoying the view over the Nister valley and the already familiar Nister Mill for a while, you continue your last stage of the GeoRoute to Hachenburg. Through an avenue, the Druidensteig leads you between willows to the outskirts of Hachenburg. You follow the edge of the settlement towards your stage destination. However, before you reach the striking gabion in front of the Westerwald Landscape Museum, the hiking trail takes you on a short detour through the castle garden with its ancient trees. In front of the entrance building of the Landscape Museum, you have reached the end point of the GeoRoute.

Safety instructions

If you believe certain path sections are not passable for you, you should bypass them. Especially in adverse weather conditions, natural paths can become muddy and slippery sections.

Be especially cautious in autumn, as fallen leaves may conceal unevenness, roots, stones, or holes in the path. You should expect such path impairments when hiking.

Although the path is very well marked throughout, for safety reasons you should always carry a suitable hiking map or download the free "Experience Rhineland-Palatinate" app.

Equipment

Wear sturdy footwear as well as weather-appropriate, functional clothing that protects against cold and wet or heat and sun.
Take sufficient fluids with you. There are not always opportunities to stop for refreshments.
Please wear suitable hiking shoes that provide sufficient support even on slippery and steep or rocky and uneven paths.

Tips

During your hike, you should take the time to rest at the Assberg roofing slate mine and at Marienstatt Monastery.

Literature

A KOMPASS hiking map North including the Druidensteig is available in the Westerwald Shop.

Destination

Landscape Museum, Leipziger Str. 1, 57627 Hachenburg

Starting Point

Bindweide visitor mine, Bindweider Straße 2, 57520 Steinebach a.d. Sieg