Fairytale trail, circular trail Bad Breisig
Tips and hints
Tourist Information Bad BreisigKoblenzer Str. 39
53498 Bad Breisig
(In the spa gardens)
Tel.: 02633 / 45630
E-mail: [email protected]
Start
Destination
Turn-by-turn directions
From the colorful front the first fairy tale figures are already greeting us, then we step through the gate and start the ascent along the serpentine path. But don't worry, who still thinks about the hardships of the ascent when Puss in Boots, Snow White or Little Red Riding Hood offer insights into their stories. The beautifully designed motif houses inspire the young hikers enormously and spur them on to storm the edge of the slope.
At the top of the exit there is a rest area, the café provides the fairytale explorers with snacks, and on top of that there is a great view of the Rhine valley.
After leaving the fairytale forest, we turn right and follow the forest path in an arc through the magnificent beech high forest. At the prominent forest crossing next to a painted bench we turn left.
Avoidance of the fairytale forest
After the railroad underpass, follow the Märchenweg signs on the right. Now you follow the asphalt road uphill for a while. After a few meters you will see an old Jewish graveyard on the right side. We follow the road until we are instructed by the signs to turn left into the forest. Soon we come to a crossroads. We leave a colorful bench on the left and walk uphill into a beautiful beech high forest.
At this point, hikers on the avoidance route also meet the normal route. After a short ascent, we keep to the right and now manage the ascent through serpentines.
The exhausting part of the hike is over now. At this point you can choose a shortcut with a saving potential of about 2 km. This now runs straight ahead, up the slope a little more and then follows the forest nature trail (Lokalweg 2) to the parking area at the edge of the forest. There the short variant meets the main route again not far from the Mönchsheide estate.
If you want to walk the whole round, turn right onto the crossroads. The Märchenweg follows the course of the Lokalweg 1 and brings us after 0.5 km to a wildlife reserve. On the right side of the path a fence borders the extensive enclosure. With a little patience we can spot the wandering deer e.g. at one of the feeding places which can be seen well. The area is also inhabited by some mouflons.
Even after passing the game reserve, boredom has no chance, because the forest presents itself in a varied way. Tree lianas are reminding of Tarzan, and in the right season nut trees or dense blackberry hedges provide vitamin-rich snacks.
Along the way we get an interesting insight into the history of the earth. The rocks are marine deposits of a primeval sea and about 400 million years (Devonian) old.
We follow the fairy tale path over some changes of direction and gain height. Thus we reach the plateau after 1.1 km and a last ascent. Here we can take a short rest at a crossroads with a bench. The fairy tale path leads us also up here through versatile forest: spruce stands, high forest, bushy undergrowth and then again manageable passages - the forest gives us insight into the most different forms of growth.
We leave some crossroads unnoticed until we finally arrive after 0.4 km at a large forest crossroads. A chestnut tree with an explanation board tells us that from here on we will also follow the forest nature trail. Other interesting signs line the path that leads us to the edge of the forest. Now the light is already shining on the horizon, coming in through the open landscape of the Mönchsheide. About 200 m before you will find the "forest telephone" and the tonewoods. Not only children can explore the different acoustic properties of different types of wood here. We reach the open area of the Mönchsheide. Half time !
There is a lot to see here. On the left in the distance we recognize the Brohl valley. Then we see the Mönchsheide manor house. Straight ahead we see Olbrück Castle in the distance.
On the right side of the open space there is a small sports airport where gliders are often launched by means of a cable winch. Most of the mountains and hills we see here are volcanoes of the East Eifel volcanism.
We turn left and after 150 m we reach the "Waldmuckibude". There are slices of various tree species here. The aim is to lift one, two or three discs like a dumbbell. Besides the physical compensation for the footwork of the hike, especially the younger fellow hikers recognize that wood species differ greatly in their weight. We continue our hike and soon pass the junction to the nearby Mönchsheide estate, where the restaurant and beer garden invite you to a well-deserved refreshment.
After a well-deserved break we hike further south along the edge of the forest and after a short time we reach a parking area with a refuge. Here the short route joins the main route again. Together with the local trails 1 and 2 we turn left at the road bend into the forest and enjoy the hike on the idyllic Förster-Steffens-Weg. Parallel in altitude we stroll through the forest. There is always something new to discover as the path winds its way along the edge of the slope in a wildly romantic way. For attentive hikers there is a lot to discover here in every season: besides numerous plants, there are also mushrooms waiting to be discovered. Soon a small detour to the right to a lookout point with a bench offers itself, only 50 m later a short stabbing path brings us back on the main path.
One size bigger is the next lookout point with refuge: the view of the Eifel is fabulously beautiful. The vegetation has changed a bit. There are now many pines that like to grow on sandy soils. Directly in front of the hut there is heather, which also grows on acidic, nutrient-poor soils. In fact, the subsoil has changed here. If we look carefully at our environment, we notice sand and many pebbles. They are rounded, which means that they have been transported by flowing waters. These are stones that the Rhine has deposited. In the course of time, the Rhenish low mountain range has slowly risen and the Rhine has cut deeper and deeper. This is how the deep Rhine valley came into being.
A great path leads us to a transmitter mast, then it goes downhill to the next attraction: Here on the "Hahn" there was an old Celtic settlement. Information boards explain the ancient settlement history and we follow the path to the lookout point on the edge of the slope. Here it becomes clear to us what a strategic location the Celts chose for their refuge, because in front of us the slope drops steeply to the Rhine valley. The view of the Rhine, Arenfels Castle on the opposite side of the Rhine and Bad Breisig is also fantastic.
The neo-Gothic castle Arenfels goes back to a castle from the 13th century and was rebuilt from 1849 -1855 by the master builder of the Cologne Cathedral. It is also known as the "Castle of the Year" because it has 365 windows, 52 doors and 12 towers.
Now follows the steep descent into the valley. But in numerous serpentines the path leads us safely to the valley. On the way, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy great views of Bad Breisig from benches. After we have almost reached the road, the fairy tale path branches off to the left and leads along an adventurous path along a rock face. The precipice is very steep, so that smaller children should be secured by the hand of a guide. After a short ascent, after a total of 7.7 km, we reach the exit of the fairy tale forest, where the fairy tale walk had begun. Now we walk again to the crossroads by the bank. Here we keep right and after about 600 m we reach the parking area.
Note
Public transport
By train you can reach Bad Breisig station from both directions every half hour.From there it is about 25 minutes on foot.
The bus line 800 runs in the village.
Getting there
Along the Rhine you can reach Bad Breisig on the B 9.Coming from Bonn, the entrance to Märchenweg is on the right hand side shortly after entering the town (between Aldi and Lidl).
Coming from Koblenz, the entrance to the Märchenweg is on the left-hand side shortly before leaving town (between Aldi and Lidl).
From Bad Hönningen there is a car ferry to Bad Breisig.
Parking
You can park in the parking lot of the fairytale forest (corner of Gartenstraße and Am Kesselberg) or in the Kurpark with a 30-minute walk along the Rhine.Coordinates
Author’s map recommendations
- Hiking map ,,Das Rheintal" LVermGeo; Hiking map No. 8 of the Eifelverein ISBN: 978-3-921805-99-2; Price: 9,00€
- Hiking map with bike paths, "Eifelwandern 10 Laacher See" NaturNavi; ISBN: 978-3-96099-121-2; Price: 9,50€
Also available at the Tourist-Information Bad Breisig.
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