Westerwald

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Westerwald

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Westerwald: History and Nature at its Best

Westerwald or the Western forest is a mountain range with low height and is located in on the right side of Rhine River. This lies in the federal state of Germany located in the Rhineland- Palatinate, Rhine-Westphalia (North) and Hesse. Westerwald is a part of Rhenish Massif or the Slate Mountains of Rhenish. Fuchskaute located in High Westerwald is its peak elevation, which stands at a height of 657 meters above the sea level.

Towards the northern parts of Westerwald, heavily eroded and geological old range which is overlaid by volcanic upland is made of layers of Neogene basalt. It roughly covers an expanse of three thousand kilometer square making the Westerwald as the biggest mountain range in Germany by area. Forty percent of the Upper Westerwald is forested and thus the economy of the place depends on iron ore, pottery, basalt mining, diabase mining, clay quarrying and slate mining. Culturally and economically considering, Westerwald is Germany’s most prominent mountain range.

The name of the mountain range ‘Westerwald’ was first documented in 1048, in the works of the Electorate of Trier. In the documents, he mentions it as ‘woodlands’, around the 3 churches in Emmerichenhain, Bad Marienbeg and Rennerod. Emmerichenhain lies on the western side of Herborn, where the royal court is located. It was during the mid-nineteenth century that Westerwald as a name came into common usage.

History

Thorough prehistoric research, it has been found out that the first inhabitants of Westerwald were the Celts, who banked on the iron ore deposits of this region. This time is branded as the Iron Age or the Hallstatt times, which starts roughly at a time of 750 BC and ends at around 500 BC.  Hunsruck is the area from where the Celts in all likelihood descended from. If you notice in the peak of Malberg, you will find sheltering walls and defenses which are ringwall-girded. These come from the times of La Tene, of the Celtic era. During this time, another important phenomenon that took place was the coming of the Germanic people. These people came from the Sieg valley and from the eastern side during the 380 BC. By the beginning of the second century, Germanic tribe had already crossed the Upper Westerwald region, crossing the High Westerwald and reaching up to the Rhine. For the Germans, this was nothing more than a terrain comprising of trackless wilderness.

The Celts, during this time, moved towards the west in order to avoid clashes with the Germanic invaders. However, during the same period of time, the Roman settlers too came from the left bank of Rhine River towards the southwestern side. The Rhine-Westerwald region was then taken and occupied by the roman settlers, which was a considerably small strip of land. It is important to note that the current area of Westerwald today lies outside the region occupied by the Romans.

The Franks, however, built their settlements on the edges of the Westerwald. This was usually in the middle parts of the mountain range and they made their way slowly into the interiors. Thus arose places with names ending with –rode, –scheid,–seifen, –hahn,–tal and -berg. Once the exploitation of iron ore began, there was also a huge process of forest destruction.

The culminating settlement period which affected the area of Westerwald began in the tenth century and lasted until the end of the thirteenth century. The area of Westerwald underwent massive Christianization once the Cologne and Trier mission along with the Carolingian policy was instated. Cologne advanced up the Sieg and the Rhine, whereas, Trier to the Lahn. The Church monastery located in the Limburg, in one of the oldest parts of Westerwald, stands as a witness to the architecture and art of this period.

Before Westerwald ended up in the hands of the Counts of Sayn, Wied and Diez, who had procured maximum control of lands of Westerwald, this place’s ownership was battled between the noble families of Salian and Ottonian. Laurenburgian Counts had a significant importance to this place, who were later known as the Nassau Counts. It is important to note that the Counts of Sayn, Wied and Diez were all important landlords during this period of time.

In the modern times, which began for the Westerwald in the sixteenth century, simplification of political relations took place. Among the influential powers which included Mainz, Hesse, Trier and Cologne, the Nassau house managed to strengthen and expand their hold on the territory located in the Dill, which is situated between Nassau and Siegen. Post the Napoleonic wars, the power was upheld by the Prussian empire, which in turn led Nassau to lose control over the Westerwald. Duchy of Nassau existed until the year 1866, as it was later conquered by the Prussian empire.

Today, the territory of Westerwald as it stands is shared by three major German states, which include the Rhineland-Palatinate, Rhine-Westphalia in the north and Hesse.

Places to Visit in Westerwald

  • Montabaur

This is a town, which is also a district seat of the Westerwaldkreis in the Rhineland-Palatinate, is located in Germany. It also serves the purpose of an administrative centre for the Verbandsgemeinde located in the Montabaur. To this municipality, belongs twenty-four communities. The two main highlights of this place are the ICE railway station which lies on the Frankfurt-Cologne high-speed railway line and a striking yellow castle.

Montabaur lies in the territory of Westerwald and is located roughly at a distance of twenty kilometers to the northeastern side of Koblenz. The entire district is inhabited by over forty thousand people whereas the city only has about thirteen thousand inhabitants.

The old town or the Alstadt of Montabaur differentiates itself with its Red Lion town hall built in Gothic Revival architecture. Other features of this place include timber-framed buildings dating back to the sixteenth and seventeenth century and the Catholic Church built in Gothic architecture. Wolfstrum or the Wolf’s Tower located in the town hall is worth visiting. The town hall or the Stadthalle serves the purpose for events, theatre, concerts, conferences and sessions.

The Schloss Montabaur or the Montabaur Castle, until the year 1945, served as a seat for the office of the district administrator belonging to the Unterwesterwaldkreis. Later it was used by the regional government of Montabaur. Today this Castle is under the German Co-operatives’ academy or the Deutscher Genossenschaften Akademie.  The academy, however, has expanded the castle as a four-star hotel for conferences and is also used as a schooling centre. The castle stands on the Schlossberg which can be well noticed from a good distance.

  • Hachenburg

Hachenburg is a place located in the Westerwald in the Rhine-Palatinate region of Germany. This town lies about ten kilometers from the Bad Marienburg which lies on the Nister River.

The castle which lies in the Hachenburg served as the seat for the Sayn Counts. The lineage of these counts was founded by Count Heinrich the Second of Sayn in the year 1180. The construction of the castle was completed in the year 1212, under the command of Count Heinrich the Third, who was the son of the founder. It was at the same time that the Cistercian Monastery came about, built under the overlordship of the Count, near to the castle.

On the 13th of October in the year 1654, a great fire broke out in the city and did a considerable amount of damage to the town centre and the castle. Georg Friedrich and Counts Salentin then undertook the process of remodelling of the entire town. The only difference that came about during this time was that these two decided to change the architecture into Baroque style. Between the years of 1745 and 1746, Julius L. Rothweil, an architect began the process of planning the architecture of the castle. The castle has seen many owners, however, for the last few decades, this castle belongs to the Deutsche Bundesbank, which operates a professional college and a training centre. In the year 1799, the town lost its position as the Residenzstadt due to the death of the last count. Post the death, the county was passed to the Nassau Weilberg.

  • Hohr Grenzhausen

This town is a part of Westerwald, which lies in the Rhine Palatinate region of Germany. This town is particularly popular for its ceramic industry which is located in the Kannenbackerland. This place has a college for the study of ceramic form and ceramics, and thus the name the Jug Baking Town or Kannenbackerstadt.

If you are here then you should visit the Ceramics Museum of Westerwald or the Keramikmuseum Westerwald and a museum which showcases the history of this town. Other popular sites include the Limes Germanicus, which is also a UNESCO (UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION) certified World Heritage site, the Grenzau Castle and, the Evangelical Church.

  • Bad Marienberg

This is a town located in the Westerwald of the Rhine Palatinate region of Germany. This is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde, which is a kind of a collective municipality. This town is positioned between Siegen and Limburg. From west to east of this town lies the Nister River, which is also a part of the drainage basin of Sieg.

Within the limits of Bad Marienberg is the spa garden alongside Kneipp Centre. There is also a bandshell, a place where during the months of summer, regular concerts are held. Closely located to this park is a new part which contains a barefoot course and herb garden. Hiking paths have been made alongside a disused quarry of basalt, a museum and information plaques explaining geology. Towards the right side of the Basalt park lies the wildlife park of Bad Marienberg.

  • Westburg

Westburg is a town in the Westerwald area of the Rhine Palatinate region located in Germany. The name of the town is inspired by a castle which is built on a hill above the town centre of Westburg. This town has about six thousand inhabitants.

Schloss Westerburg, the castle, whose first mention dates back to the documents written in 1192, along with the church of the castle built in the sixteenth century are the town’s important landmarks.

  • Rennerod

This is a town located in the Westerwald in the Rhine Palatinate region of Germany. It if the official seat for the administration of the Rennerod’s Verbandsgemeinde, which is a collective municipality.

  • Gackenbach

Gackenbach is a community belonging to the Verbandsgemeinde, which is located in the Westerwald region of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. This place belongs to Verbandsgemeinde of the Montabaur region which is a kind of a collective municipality. Documented evidence of this place dates back to the year 1290.

This region is famous for its Amusement Park and Westerwald Wilderness, where tourist can observe and study various species of wisent and animals living in their natural habitats. The place covers an expanse of four hectares. If you are here, do no miss out on the four hundred meters long toboggan run operated during the summers, barbecue pits and one petting zoo.

  • Nistertal

Nistertal is a community belonging to a Verbandsgeneinde which is located in the Westerwald, in the area of Rhineland Palatinate of Germany. This community lies amid the regions of Siegen and Limburg. Nistertal’s Ortsteile or constituent communities include Erbach and Bundingen.

A railway bridge which is located on top of Nister River in Erbach, constructed in the year 1911, was among the largest bridges to be ever constructed in Germany. This bridge is three hundred meters long and has a height of almost forty meters. The most prominent aspect of this bridge is the fact that it was constructed during the time when bridges did not even have steel armoring. Thus this bridge was considered and world renowned as a technological wonder. Once the railway movement on this bridge was shut down in the year 1971, a decision was taken to preserve this technological marvel. Another not to miss bridge of this area is the Wasserbrucke or the water bridge. The most prominent aspect of this bridge is the fact that water is borne across the track, where the Bad Marienberg to Nistertal railway line operates.

  • Ransbach Baumbach

This is a town located in Westerwald region of Rhine Palatinate in Germany. This community lies approximately ten kilometers towards the northwestern side of Montabaur and around fifteen kilometers towards the northeastern side of Koblenz.

This place is also popular for its ceramic industry. If you are here then walk around the town to witness the amazing art produced through ceramics. Organized on the first weekend of October every year is the famous pottery market. Do not miss out on the Erlenhofee which is a lake and the Koppel which is a forty meter high lookout tower.

  • Siershahn

This place falls in Westerland located in the Rhine Palatinate region of Germany. This place is particularly famous for its clay finds which have been excavated from the times of La Tene. The first mention of this place in documents, dates back to 1211.

  • Seck

This is an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald region of Rhine Palatinate in Germany. Go here in the month of July to witness the consecration festival held in a church along with a beautiful market. Other popular fests include the Secker Oktoberfest and Weiherfest which is a pond festival.

  • Hof

Hof is also an Ortsgemeinde, of the Westerwald region of Rhine Palatinate in Germany. This community lies amid Siegen and Limburg and shares a boundary with the Rhine Westphalia of North. This place lies on the hollow foot of the third tallest elevation of Westerwald with an average elevation of five hundred fifty meters old Leipzig Cologne road which is used for the purpose of trade.

  • Stein Neukirch

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  This community lies amid Limburg positioned in the south, while Siegen to the north. At a good altitude of six hundred five meters above the sea level, this is undoubtedly the highest living community in the entire region of Westerwald. Salzburger and Stegskopf which have an altitude of six hundred fifty three and six hundred fifty-four meters are the landmark mountains of this region.

Kermis of the Stein Neukirch is held on the first weekend in the month of August. The market here is celebrated traditionally and is one of the most visited places by tourists.

  • Hattert

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany. This place lies amid Altenkirchen and Hachenburg located on the Altenkirchener Hochebene. In the year 1940, a branch of the Catholic Church was built here in Oberhattert, which was later expanded and built as a chapel in the year 1948. This chapel underwent reconstruction in the 1996 after a fire broke out and caused a lot of damage. Maria Konigin, a parish church was built here in the year 1957.

  • Hundsangen

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  This place is located amid Limburg an der Lahn and Montabaur region right at the boundary located between Hesse and Rhineland Palatinate. This place is well known in the region of Westerwald as it provides its inhabitants with a high quality of living.

The parish church of Saint Goar built in baroque architecture in the year 1726 is one of the most prominent place in the town. The Church tower, built in Romanesque architecture was however built in the twelfth century. Hundsangen is particularly popular for its various heavily visited forests. One among them is the Am Bach, educational nature trail. Located in the Boschern forest is also a barbecue pit.

  • Hohn

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  This place offers its over three thousand inhabitants and tourists the charm of a high plateau region, located at a mere altitude of five hundred meters above sea level. The first mention of this place in documents dates back to 930 AD.

At the centre of the old village core lies the famous Catholic parish church of Maria Heimsuchung.

  • Selters

This place is located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  This town lies amid the region of Siegen and Koblenz. Saint Boniface’s Roman Catholic parish built in the nineteenth century and the Evangelical parish built in the year 1842, are the two main attractions of this town.

  • Elsoff

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  This place falls between the three towns of Siegen, Wetzlar and Limburg an der Lahn. The Way of the Cross located at the Heispel, the Kirche Elsoff and the Kapelle Mittelhofen are the must visit places in this town.

  • Hillscheid

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  This place lies towards the northeastern side of Koblenz which is located right on the edge of the Nature Park of Nassau.

If you are here, in this very small community you can witness a small yet beautiful local museum. A Limes tower is located right at the edge of this community. You can take a short walk amid the forests of Westerwald in this region to reach the reconstructed remains of an old Roman fort.

  • Welschneudorf

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  This particular community is located on the Lower Westerwald, and is positioned between Limburg an der Lahn and Koblenz.

  • Alpenrod

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  The Grabersberg located on the Gemarkung Alpenrod region of this place is the highest point here. Here stands an observation tower, through with you can have a beautiful view of Alpenrod and its surrounding areas.

  • Frielingen

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  This places lies at just a distance of seven kilometers away from Selters and is located on the Lake Plateau in Westerwald. Thus, this place is particularly famous among tourists as a recreation area during holidays.

  • Muschenbach

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  Hiking paths from this place would lead you into the valley nearby, which is located close to the Nister River and Marienstatt Monastery.

The Kermis which is celebrated yearly, the carnival and the parade that goes with it, the Well Festival or the Brunnenfest, and the Charcoal Kiln Fest or the Meilerfest are the biggest highlights of this place.

  • Eitelborn

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  This place lies between four towns of Bad Ems, Montabaur, Hohr Grenzhausen and Koblenz. About just a kilometer away from this place, towards the southern side lies the beautiful Sporkenburg.

  • Oberrod

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  This place lies on the boundary with the town of Hesse.

Schutzenverein Saint Hubertus is one of the oldest shooting clubs in the Westerwald region. At Whitsun, each year, the club organizes a shooting festival which lasts for three long days. Between 18th and 20th August, every year, the village organizes a Backesund Brunnfest or the Well and Bakehouse Festival. Flappeskuchen, which is traditionally baked in a wood burning oven, is the most famous delicacy of this region.

  • Westernohe

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  This place has an ill image due to a tug of war incident which took place here in the year 1995. Around six hundred fifty scouts had participated in a tug of war incident, in which the rope broke, killing two and injuring another one hundred two participants.

  • Liebenscheid

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  This place lies amid the Limburg and Siegen, sharing boundaries with the Rhine Westphalia in the North and Hesse.

This is same place, where inside the prison of the castle, Jan Rubens, Peter Paul Ruben’s father was charged for having relations with Anna, who was William the Silent’s spouse.

  • Herschbach

This place is also an Ortsgemeinde located in the Westerwald of Rhine Palatinate region of Germany.  This place is also a state recognized and authorized Luftkurort or air health resort.

The Marienheim Convent which is located here, was built on the already laid foundation of Arx Hergispach, which was a moated castle. Today this place serves as a home for the sisters of the order and the aged. In the year 1995, the convent celebrated its hundredth anniversary.

St. Anna was a chapel site since the year 1486. Johannes Siez, a master builder belonging to the court, built the parish as it stands today between the years 1765 and 1768 in baroque style. The parish church of St. Anna is a protected monument and stands with the remodeled marketplace and the town hall. These three architectural marvels form the heart of Herschbach.

The historic town hall as it stands today was never this. Earlier the town hall was an elementary school and in the mid 1990’s this place underwent massive renovation work.

  • Neunkhausen

Hof is also an Ortsgemeinde, of the Westerwald region of Rhine Palatinate in Germany. This community lies amid Siegen and Limburg and shares a boundary with the Rhine Westphalia of North.

The arms of the community not only display the lion belonging to the Sayn Counts but also its membership with the Kirburg parish. The chapel which is positioned in the lower field of the coat of arms not only stands for Saint Wendelinuskapelle but also symbolizes the old monastery. The documented date for this chapel goes back to the year 1447. It was endowed by the Sayn Counts and today stands on the fountain square of Neunkhausen.

  • Norken

Hof is also an Ortsgemeinde, of the Westerwald region of Rhine Palatinate in Germany. This community lies amid Siegen and Limburg and shares a boundary with the Rhine Westphalia of North.

At the festival of Easter the traditional Eierschibbeln which is a kind of an Easter egg roll tradition is celebrated here.

  • Ebernhahn

Hof is also an Ortsgemeinde, of the Westerwald region of Rhine Palatinate in Germany. The mention of this community’s name was first unequivocally mentioned in the documents dating back to the year 1324. This Westerwald village is considerably new and up until the middle ages, its name was not even much heard off. The Thirty Years’ War which was fought from 1618 to 1648 had a major impact on this village as the population was reduced to just forty-two inhabitants. This statistics included the nearby village of Siershahn too.

In the year 1871, a chapel was built at this place, which was also the first and only chapel here back then. In the year 1911, remodeling of the church was done and the new church was named after Maria Empfangnis. The belfry, as it stands today was added to the church in the year 1968. In the year 1978, the inner part of church was decorated. On the 8th of December every year, the patron festival of the parish is organized in commemoration of the ‘Mother of God conceived without original sin’. During the first Sundays of the month of May, the church also celebrates its consecration festival.

  • Niederelbert

Hof is also an Ortsgemeinde, of the Westerwald region of Rhine Palatinate in Germany. This community lies amid Westerwald in the south and Montabaur.

At this place there is a catholic church was consecrated in the year 1910 and since then has been known as the Church of Saint Josef.

  • Nassau Nature Park

The Naturpark Nassau or the Nassau Nature Park lies in the south-west region of Westerwald and the north-west region of the Rhineland Palatinate of Germany. This park is located within the boundaries of the historical state of Nassau. The park encompasses a total area of about five hundred sixty square kilometers. In the year 1963, the Naturpark Nassau was officially established.

The area is most popular among tourists for its medieval castles and scenic landscapes. The famous Rhine Gorge which is also a UNESCO (UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION) certified world heritage site, lies here.