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Start: Unnau-Korb station
(S) We begin this hike at Unnau-Korb railway station and turn left until we reach Wäschbach at the entrance to Korb. Here we rejoin the Kölner Weg and turn right.
(1) The K takes us uphill to the L293, which we cross and continue towards the cemetery. After 100 metres, the path branches off to the right into the Wäschbachtal valley and we hike through the forest for a long time. The path gradually climbs above the stream. We pass a solitary house.
A little later, the path descends in a right-hand bend to the Wäschbach stream, which we cross via two planks or a ford. The forest then remains behind us. We approach Stangenrod, a village with some half-timbered houses that are worth seeing.
(2) Before the first house, a striking brick building, we turn left and climb uphill on a grassy path to the K61. There we turn right, walk towards Stangenrod and after about 50 metres turn left into Bergstraße, which merges into In der Kornbitze. At the end of this road, we keep to the left and leave Stangenrod.
Now we walk along a path that is partly lined with blackthorn bushes and wild roses. The path climbs gently around the Ziest ridge (488 metres) on the left. Not far from Kölner Weg and to the right of the path were the former mine buildings and a spoil tip from the Concordia lignite mine.
Only a single house remains of the mine buildings: the former Kautenbude, which served as a recreation and washroom for the miners. The Concordia mine was in operation from 1745 and continued to supply coal even after the Second World War.
At first, mining the brown coal was very simple. A "Rösche" (a type of tunnel) was dug at the site where the coal was found and extended as far as possible without water hindering the work. Only later were tunnels driven into the mountains from the valleys to drain the water. The coal was then extracted from a depth of 50 to 80 metres through shafts. Mining in the Concordia mine was not carried out in open pits, but through tunnels that led to the vicinity of the Großer Wolfstein.
Lignite played an important role in the economy of the Westerwald. The first written record dates back to 1585. In the following years, further lignite deposits were developed, especially near Bad Marienberg. Originally, lignite was only used as fuel for domestic heating. This proved to be a blessing for the forests, as it spared them from overexploitation. Furthermore, mining was organised by the sovereign from the 18th century onwards. Private mining was only permitted again from 1817. Brown coal was also used by brewers and bakers. As brown coal burned better than normal wood and also burned longer, it was also charred in kilns and sold to blacksmiths and locksmiths.
(3) The path climbs steadily through the forest and eventually reaches a crossroads. The Kölner Weg continues straight ahead. Just behind the crossroads, about 50 metres to the right, the Georgszeche mine and a winding tower used to stand. Nothing remains of the ore mine. We continue to follow the K straight ahead and walk to the right along the Bölsberger Viehweide.
In the revolutionary year of 1848, the authorities decided to reforest the cattle pasture with spruce trees. This did not please the farmers at all, as they would lose valuable grazing land. Without further ado, they removed the young spruce trees, and the cattle pasture has been preserved to this day.
At a fork, the K sends us to the right and after a short distance we reach the Hörhahn hut.
(4) There, the K sign branches off to the left.
The Höhrhahn area was originally used for agriculture. It was not until the 19th century that the areas around the villages of Unnau, Stangenrod, Bölsberg and parts of the Marienberger Höhe were mainly reforested with spruce trees. The proceeds from the sale of firewood and charcoal were used by the parish of Marienberg to finance repairs to the church and church buildings.
The path continues steeply uphill. Shortly before the highest point of the path, the K turns to the left.
(5) After 150 metres, we reach the Großer Wolfstein, a bizarre rock formation at an altitude of 555 metres.
Large basalt boulders tower above us. According to legend, the devil had a hand in this, as he did in many other places. He wanted to build a tower that would reach up to the sky. So he gathered a large number of basalt blocks lying around in the woods and tied them together with a Witt. A Witt is a willow or birch branch that is twisted until it can be tied like a straw rope. With his load tied together in this way, he flew through the air. But the Witt broke and the stones fell to the ground too soon. They still lie there today, forming the Großer Wolfstein.
From the Großer Wolfstein, we hike along forest paths over the Marienberger Höhe and reach the highest point of the Kölner Weg (567.5 metres). Shortly afterwards, we come to a fork, turn left, walk towards a forest and arrive at a small juniper heath.
Juniper heaths are cultural and historical evidence of a regionally typical, historical form of land cultivation. Such meadows were mostly located on shallow slopes and above hay meadows. They were used as "pasture land". The juniper bushes originate from the Bölsberg cattle pasture.
The path runs through the forest again.
(6) At a crossroads, we come across the Neue Wilhelms-Hütte. It is only 1 kilometre to Bad Marienberg on the left. If you also want to see the Kleiner Wolfstein, turn right here.
(7) The Kölner Weg descends significantly and continues straight ahead to a wildlife park, around which there is a 2.5-kilometre circular trail. There is also a falconry centre that can be visited. However, we continue along the Kölner Weg until we reach the wildlife park café.
(8) We then turn left and pass the Hedwigsturm tower.
(9) From here, you have a magnificent view of Bad Marienberg and large parts of the Westerwald. In the distance, you can see the Feldberg in the Taunus, the Montabaurer Höhe and the Siebengebirge. Not far from the tower, a path leads to the left to the Wildparkhotel. The hotel has a revolving restaurant.
Shortly before the hotel, however, the Kölner Weg turns right, runs briefly through a meadow, crosses a road and passes a car park.
(10) Immediately afterwards, a short circular hiking trail begins around the Basalt Park.
The most important types of basalt, such as columnar, plate and spherical basalt, line the circular trail. Along the circular trail, the many ways in which basalt can be processed and used are explained by means of faithful replicas of tipper trucks, the workplace of the stone cutters, and 15 different types of paving stones. Columnar basalt is indispensable for reinforcing sea dykes and river banks. This is demonstrated by an eight-metre-long dyke foot reinforcement.
We continue along the Cologne Trail and at the same time along a geological nature trail. The path then descends towards the basalt lake, which we can glimpse behind the trees on the left.
(11) The K then turns left and heads towards the basalt lake. Here we meet the circular trail around the Basalt Park again. On the opposite shore of the lake, a steep wall rises impressively.
The formations of columnar and blanket basalt, which are 60 metres thick here, are clearly visible in the steep wall. Information boards describe the quarrying of the volcanic rock and other display boards explain how the basalt was formed in the Tertiary period. Quarrying began in 1905 between the districts of Zinnhain and Marienberg. This economically important industry, which was significant beyond the region, became possible after Bad Marienberg was connected to the railway network. Brake tracks connected the quarries to the railway. The quarry face was mined in two levels. In 1930, underground mining was started. The quarry was closed in 1975 and, after mining operations ceased, water was dammed up in the underground workings. Today, the basalt lake has become a habitat for rare bird species and amphibians.
(12) We continue our walk along the lake until we come to a diesel locomotive and a shunting locomotive. There is also an information building about the Basalt Park, which is located in a former compressor house. We leave the Basalt Park by walking past the red diesel locomotive and up Bismarckstraße, following the K to the left onto the road and immediately turning left again. We then cross a car park and keep to the right.
(13) A little later, we reach Danziger Straße and soon after cross Berliner Straße. If we turn left here into Berliner Straße, this leads to Goethestraße and the Hotel Kristall.
(14) However, Kölner Weg continues along Danziger Straße until Rauscheidstraße, where we turn right and pass the Hotel Restaurant Pizzeria zur Sonne.
(15) Shortly afterwards, we come to Bismarckstraße, where we turn left.
(E) If we continue straight ahead, we will quickly find ourselves in the centre of Bad Marienberg.
Association / Club / Walk leader
Visorando member
Easy 
