Dream loop tour – Wehinger Viezpfad

Start: Community centre in Wehingen, Kapellenstraße 2-3, 66693 Mettlach-Wehingen
49°27′43.5" N 06°30′27.5" E
32U RW 319404 HW 5481811

(S/E) From the community centre opposite the chapel in Wehingen, we walk uphill to the L170/E29, cross it and walk to the left to the street "Am Sägewerk", which we follow uphill.

(1) Soon we turn left onto a meadow path. We walk through meadows with old orchards on the slopes of the Kewelsberg (442 metres above sea level).

(2) While we enjoy the view of the Merziger Becken basin and the ridges of the Black Forest Hochwald from the Sinnenbank bench, the wind turbines turn on the ridge behind us.

On the descent, we first walk through a forest of blackthorn bushes.

(3) We then reach a paved road, follow it uphill for a short distance and come to the edge of the forest via a short meadow.

(4) The path then follows the slope through a dreamlike landscape: a sea of limestone rocks in all sizes. Every single stone and rock is covered with a thick carpet of moss. Hedges, undergrowth and trees are also covered with moss: we have arrived in the green primeval forest. In countless twists, turns and loops, sometimes uphill, sometimes downhill, we wind our way along the slope.
At some point, we leave the green sea behind.

(5) We descend, cross the road between Wehingen and Tünsdorf, turn right and keep left at the next fork.

(6) Then, below the cemetery in Wehingen, we reach the Semmerhütte, which has outdoor seating. We then hike through meadows down into the valley, enter the large forest area and later return across meadows almost to the beginning of Wehingen.

(7) At the "Zwischen den Grethen" boundary, we walk downhill into the valley of the Bonnerbach, which joins the Tünsdorfer Bach later on in our tour.

(8) Then we pass the Brandweiher pond in the middle of the forest.

(9) We then climb up to the "Rehchenskopf" viewpoint. From there, the hiking trail leads into the valley, where we cross the stream via round wooden footbridges and then keep to the left.

A wide forest path takes us to the former excursion restaurant "Zur Blechmühle".

(10) Shortly before the Blechmühle, the hiking trail turns sharply to the right. We quickly gain altitude metre by metre via a very steep climb through a sunken path. We walk through the forest for a longer section of the trail, then meadows, fields and sections of forest alternate
and forest sections alternate. Again and again, we have to tackle a few uphill passages.

At the "Im Gärtchen" viewpoint, after another climb, there is a sensory bench where you can rest. Between meadows and pasture land, we soon reach "Auf Soolen" with an old wayside cross. On a piece of meadow at the edge of the forest, there are some historic agricultural machines.
A narrow forest path takes us downhill. We then follow the route gently uphill on a wider path. Once we have left the forest behind us, there is a meadow section. We have to climb again.

(11) At the paddock "Auf dem Humbacher Weg" there is a bench for a final rest. Passing apple trees, we reach the first houses of Wehingen and shortly afterwards return to the starting point of our hike (S/E).

By car: Take the A8 Saarbrücken-Luxembourg motorway, exit at Merzig-Wellingen, then take the L170 to Wehingen.
Parking: at the community centre in Wehingen.

Arrival by bus & train: Take the train to Merzig, then take bus line 210 to Wehingen (Mon-Fri)

Places to stop for refreshments:
Bistro Alte Schule, Markusstraße 2, 66693 Mettlach

Apple wine or Viez
In the Moselle Franconian dialect (parts of Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Luxembourg), apple wine is called Viez. A Saarland sub-variety of Viez is "Särkower", the Saargauer. This is Viez made from apples from the Saargau, the region between Saarland and French Lorraine. The apples used are small, very aromatic varieties from orchards, which are often not particularly tasty for consumption. The alcohol content of Viez is between 5.5 and 7 percent. Viez and its by-products can be tasted on the Viezstraße, a German holiday route in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. Every year, the Viezfest takes place in Merzig, attracting over 300,000 visitors to the district town. Various variations of Viez are offered on the Viezmeile: sometimes cold, sometimes hot, sweet or tart, with honey or other ingredients.