Westerwälder Seenplatte - Northern Loop 7-Ponds Hiking Trail

Description

From the "Haus am See" campsite in Steinebach a.d.W., we start directly at the Dreifelder Weiher nature reserve. We enjoy the soothing view over the gentle waves and walk along forest paths and wooden footbridges through the alder-lined wetland. We take plenty of time at the display panels and calmly observe the extraordinary birdlife that lives here. Keeping the Dreifelder Weiher firmly in view, we follow the path until at Langenbaum we turn towards Steinebach a.d. Wied, where we admire the cultural monument of the valley castle ruin. Past the bakehouse, we soon reach a meadow path and enter the Steinebach sculpture park. Five sculptures with accompanying information panels were created here by local artists. Via Schmidthahn, the path soon leads us past the Hofmannsweiher to the west shore of the Dreifelder Weiher. With the Haidenweiher, we pass another body of water of the Seenplatte and hike back to the "Haus am See" campsite.

Approach

From Hachenburg (north): We leave Hachenburg via Steinebacher Straße. At the town’s exit, we follow the L292 to Steinebach. In Steinebach, we follow Hachenburger Straße until at the town’s exit we again follow L292. We follow this road to the end, then turn left onto the B8. We follow B8 to Steinen where we turn left into Lindenstraße. From the town’s exit, we follow K138 about 1.5 kilometers until we turn right into the parking lot of the forest playground Steinen-Dreifelden.

From Selters (southwest): We drive over L304 to Freilingen. In Freilingen, we turn left into Hohe Straße. Behind Freilingen, we turn right into L303, which we follow about 2.5 kilometers, then turn left onto K1. We follow this road until the parking lot of the forest playground Steinen-Dreifelden is on the left.

From Westerburg (east): We leave Westerburg via Langenhahner Straße and at the end, turn right into L288. We follow this road to Hinterkirchen, where we turn left into Westerburger Straße. At the intersection to B255/Koblenzer Straße, we turn left and immediately afterward slightly right into Freilinger Straße. We continue along L304 until in Freilingen we turn left from Wölferlinger Straße (previously L304) into Hohe Straße. We leave Hohe Straße right behind Freilingen, onto L303. After about half a kilometer, we turn left onto K1. We follow this road until we turn left to the parking lot at the forest playground Steinen-Dreifelden.

Public transport

By bus line 433 from Hachenburg to Seeburg, Steinebach an der Wied. From there about 13 minutes on foot to the start, the "Haus am See" campsite.

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

Taxi Hetzler: Selters, Tel.: 02626/6445

Parking

Steinebach an der Wied: Free parking opposite the "Haus am See" campsite, Steinebacher Straße 1, 57629 Steinebach an der Wied

Free parking at the cemetery of Seeburg, Steinebacher Straße, 57629 Steinebach an der Wied

Dreifelden: Free parking at the golf course in Dreifelden, Steinebacher Straße, 57629 Dreifelden

Free parking at the entrance to Dreifelden, Steinebacher Straße, 57629 Dreifelden (opposite the golf course parking lot, a street leads to the parking lot)

Steinen: Free parking at the forest playground Steinen/Dreifelden, Seeburger Straße, 56244 Steinen

Directions

From the "Haus am See" campsite in Steinebach a.d.W., this hike starts into the Westerwälder Seenplatte area to explore the northern part of the Seven-Ponds Trail. For many hiking enthusiasts, the complete Seven-Ponds Trail with over 30km in length might be somewhat too strenuous for a day hike. Therefore, the shorter but still varied northern loop described here is highly recommended.

Starting from the parking lot, we immediately follow the signposts of the well-known Westerwaldsteig into the nearby forest. Partly over small footbridges and narrow paths, we wander through a wetland up to the shore of the Dreifelder Weiher. Keeping the Dreifelder Weiher firmly in view, we continue until just before the edge of the village of Dreifelden, where we leave the Westerwaldsteig to the left. Shortly after, we encounter the signposting of another very popular hiking trail in the Westerwald, the Wiedweg.

Following the Wiedweg marking, we hike a short distance across an open field to then immediately head back to the shore of the Dreifelder Weiher. A narrow trampling path now guides us always along the pond up to the K2. Here we soon turn north and reach the small village of Langenbaum and later Steinebach a. d. Wied. In Steinebach, we walk past the "castle ruin" and continue on the "sculpture path" to the small Hofmannsweiher.

We follow the northern shore of the Hofmann Weiher, and after just a few meters, we again have the Dreifelder Weiher in sight. We keep to the right, and another small trampling path leads us along the K1 to the Seeburg and shortly afterward to the shores of the third pond of this round – the Haidenweiher. From here, it is only 500m until we reach the parking lot again, concluding the enjoyable loop.

Safety instructions

• Wear sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate, functional clothing to protect you from cold and wet or heat and sun.

• Take enough liquid with you. There are not always opportunities to eat and drink along the way.

• Please wear suitable hiking boots that provide enough grip even on slippery, steep, rocky, or uneven paths.

• If you feel that certain sections of the path are not passable for you, you should avoid them. Especially in adverse weather conditions, natural paths may become muddy and slippery.

• In autumn, be especially careful as fallen leaves can cover unevenness, roots, stones, or holes on the path. You must expect this kind of path impairment when hiking.

• Although the path is continuously well marked, for safety reasons, you should always have an appropriate hiking map with you.

Tips

Enjoy a great view of the numerous ponds from one of the benches.

Literature

Topographic map 1:25000 Ferienland Westerwald sheet 1, ISBN 978-3-89637-253-6

Destination

"Haus am See" campsite, Seeburger Str. 1, 57629 Steinebach an der Wied

Starting Point

"Haus am See" campsite, Seeburger Str. 1, 57629 Steinebach an der Wied