7. Stage Natursteig Sieg: Herchen–Schladern

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Up close and personal with the Sieg

A varied tour with numerous scenic highlights and sights. The seventh stage is a little more strenuous than its predecessors, but very adventurous. Over hill and dale, up and down, with magnificent views of the Sieg river and Windeck Castle.

• Beautiful routes along the Sieg

• Adventurous route along many narrow paths, otherwise riverside, forest and meadow trails

• Finish at the Sieg waterfall in Schladern

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 18.35 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 599 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 575 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 273 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 98 m
  • ⚐ Country: Germany
  • ⚐ District: Windeck 
  • ⚑
    Start: N 50.77098° / E 7.52108°
  • ⚑
    End: N 50.80711° / E 7.59237°
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Description of the walk

Start: Herchen railway station

Destination: Schladern railway station

Parking: P&R facility at Herchen railway station (Sieg), Stromberger Straße 1, 51570 Windeck-Herchen.

Public transport: Herchen station: RE 9, lines S12 and S19

(S) First on the Philosophenweg (Philosophers' Path) in the immediate vicinity of the Sieg, then on a wide, partly wooded hill and later steeply down to the Sieg again. In narrow hairpin bends, almost 80 metres of altitude are overcome in a distance of about 200 metres! The idyllic Siegauen around Hoppengarten line the hike. You have to leave the view of the river behind for a short while as you climb up to the Auenberg.

(1) Then follow narrow paths through deciduous forest down to Übersetzig and back to the banks of the Sieg. Here, a fantastic path winds gently up and down above the river, offering a touch of adventure.

(2) At the entrance to Dreisel, the Natursteig Sieg makes a long loop through a nature-protected meadow valley before crossing the Sieg and climbing up through a sparse oak forest.

(3) It is not far to Altwindeck. The museum village and the imposing Windeck castle ruins are well worth a visit. It was exhausting, but beautiful! (E)

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 105 m - Herchen railway station
  2. 1 : km 6.68 - alt. 210 m - Auenberg
  3. 2 : km 11.19 - alt. 140 m - Dreisel
  4. 3 : km 16.9 - alt. 137 m - Altwindeck
  5. E : km 18.35 - alt. 133 m - Schladern railway station

Notes

Arrival by car: A 560 towards Hennef, AS Hennef (Sieg) Ost – L 333 towards Eitorf, continue via Stromberg to Herchen.

Arrival by public transport:
Start: Herchen station: RE 9, lines S12 and S19
Destination: Schladern railway station: RE 9, lines S12 and S19

Equipment: Sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate clothing

All stages of the Natursteig Sieg lead from station to station and are clearly marked with the blue Natursteig Sieg logo in both directions. The access routes to quality accommodation providers, town centres and railway stations are marked in yellow. Display boards with overview maps and further information on places to stop for refreshments and overnight accommodation, as well as places of interest, can be found at the railway stations and at the starting points of each stage.

Worth a visit

Short detour to Dattenfeld and the Siegtaldom

Other walks in the area

Walking Kölner Weg - Stage 5 - From the Siegtal valley to the Leuscheid ridge

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔10.11 km ↗+383 m ↘-174 m ◔4h 00 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Windeck (Cologne Government Region)
On this hike, we leave Herchen on the Höhenweg trail above Siegtalstraße. On narrow paths and through deep gorges, over narrow bridges and through numerous hairpin bends, we hike high above the Sieg to Herchen railway station. Here we cross the Sieg and climb uphill again. Soon we find ourselves high above the river again. We have to tackle another steep climb before we reach Schneppe. On the way to Kuchhausen, we can make a detour to an impressive basalt crater. The hike ends in Leuscheid.

Walking Kölner Weg – Stage 6 – Leuscheid, the Beulskopf and Marienthal Monastery

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔14.02 km ↗+291 m ↘-343 m ◔4h 50 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Windeck (Cologne Government Region)
The section between Leuscheid and Marienthal Monastery offers many highlights. We hike through a hilly landscape on a wide, tree-lined path. Again and again, new and surprising views open up before us. Behind Ehrentalsmühle, we have a slightly longer climb through the forest to Ückertseifen, but we are rewarded for our efforts with a view of the Hammer Ländchen. Passing the Wunderbuche (miracle beech) near Birkenbeul, we finally climb the Beulskopf with the Raiffeisen Tower. Along the edge of the forest, we pass Hilgenroth, reach another beautiful forest and finally Marienthal with its former monastery.

Walking Kölner Weg – Stage 7 – Nister, Kroppacher Schweiz to Heimborn

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔12.98 km ↗+318 m ↘-341 m ◔4h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Hilgenroth (Landkreis Altenkirchen (Westerwald))
This exceptionally varied hike first takes us through meadows, pastures and forests to the Nister, a small tributary of the Sieg. At Alhausen, a village with beautiful half-timbered houses, we cross the Nister and continue above the river on wonderful narrow paths to Heimborn. This is one of the most picturesque sections of the entire Cologne Trail.

Walking Kölner Weg – Stage 4 – Via Nutscheid to Herchen/Sieg

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔17.30 km ↗+244 m ↘-365 m ◔5h 40 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Ruppichteroth (Cologne Government Region)
This section of the Cologne Trail differs significantly from the previous sections. In Winterscheid, we reach the heights of the Nutscheid and only have one climb to tackle before reaching Altenherfen. We walk along wide forest paths and enjoy magnificent views of the mountains beyond the Siegtal valley, the Westerwald and the Siebengebirge mountains. Only after Altenherfen does the Cologne Trail descend into the valley, before we have to climb steeply again behind Rieferath. Our varied hike ends in Herchen, a climatic health resort in one of the most beautiful spots in the Siegtal valley.

Walking Kölner Weg - Stage 16 - Along the Wied and Pfaffenbach Valley to Rottbitze

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔15.29 km ↗+373 m ↘-209 m ◔5h 25 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Neustadt (Wied) (Landkreis Neuwied)
The penultimate section of the Cologne Trail initially runs along a wildly romantic section high above the Wied, then along the former Linz-Neustadt railway line. We climb uphill through a deciduous forest to Rüddel, where we can enjoy a beautiful view. Later, we hike steeply down to Hammerhof and continue through the Pfaffenbach valley. Following the Windhagenerbach stream, we reach Windhagen with its beautiful St. Bartholomäus church. The hike ends in Rottbitze.

Walking Kölner Weg – Stage 8 – Nistertal to Marienstatt Monastery and Hachenburg

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔13.27 km ↗+278 m ↘-163 m ◔4h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Heimborn (Westerwaldkreis)
There is hardly a more unspoilt and picturesque section along the Nister than the stretch between Heimborn and Hachenburg. At Heimborn, the Kleine Nister flows into the Nister. This is one of the most charming spots in the Westerwald. The Nister, which has carved its way deep into the north-eastern part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains, has formed steep and unusual rock formations, such as the Hohe Ley, together with mountain folds. Since the Middle Ages, the Nister Valley with the Marienstatt monastery has been a Christian centre and boasts a special gem: the oldest Gothic church on the right bank of the Rhine in Germany.

Walking Kölner Weg - Stage 17 - Rottbitze, Siebengebirge, Drachenfels, Königswinter

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔20.30 km ↗+307 m ↘-570 m ◔6h 40 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Bad Honnef (Cologne Government Region)
The last stage of the Cologne Trail will remain unforgettable for many hikers. On its long journey from Cologne through the Bergisches Land and the Westerwald, the Cologne Trail leads to Himmerich, which offers wonderful views. After that, the trail approaches its last and perhaps most beautiful sections. We wander along beautiful forest paths through the Siebengebirge and can make a detour to the Löwenburg. Finally, we visit the Drachenfels and hike through the famous Nachtigallental valley to Königswinter.

Walking Kölner Weg – Stage 15 – Grenzbach, Ehrenstein Monastery, Neustadt/Wied

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔18.61 km ↗+504 m ↘-611 m ◔6h 45 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Horhausen (Westerwald) (Landkreis Altenkirchen (Westerwald))
This route is also one of the highlights of the Cologne Trail. From the Grenzbachtal valley, we climb up to Horhausen and reach two former mines, the Otto-Stollen and the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Grube, near Niedersteinebach. Later, above Niedersteinebach, we reach a wonderful vantage point and hike through forests past a "legendary" oak tree to Peterslahr. We visit Ehrenstein Monastery, cross the Wied, pass through the Metteshahner Schweiz, reach the Bertenauer Kopf and finally arrive in Neustadt.

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