Windhagen between hiking trails and chapels
Accommodation in Windhagen
Windhagen combines hiking trails with chapels and traces of local history. The municipality, with its twelve individual localities, covers 1,494 hectares in the north of the Rhine-Westerwald Nature Park and lies just under 30 kilometers southeast of Bonn. Windhagen is located directly on Federal Motorway 3 (A3). When looking for accommodation, you can consider whether you would like to combine your stay mainly with hiking, architectural history, or both.
Hiking trails with different routes
Windhagen has numerous well-marked hiking trails that connect to long-distance and main hiking trails such as the Rheinsteig and Westerwaldsteig. The W1 Windhagen–Stockhauser Weg circular trail starts at the church in the center of the village, leads to Stockhausen, and then loops back to the starting point. Along the way, it follows forest and meadow paths and passes through quiet little stream valleys and the scattered localities of the municipality of Windhagen and its surrounding area.
The Ameisenweg also starts in the town center but follows a different route: It passes a small park with ponds and unusual goat willows. From there, it continues either to the Pfaffenbachtal, through the Bockental, or back via Rehwinkel. This means you can choose between a described circular route with Stockhausen as its destination and several route options starting from the town center.
Churches and chapels in the municipality
The Catholic parish church of St. Bartholomew is at the heart of the town center. It was built in 1869–1870 to simplified plans by Cologne architect Vincent Statz. The church is also the starting point for the W1 circular trail, so the town center and the beginning of this route coincide.
The Holy Trinity Chapel in Hallerbach is a different, compact architectural form. The approximately six-meter-long, white-plastered building ends in three sides of an octagon. Above its gabled roof is a slate-roofed bell tower with a 50-kilogram bronze bell, cast in 1852 by Schippang in Neuwied. A complete renovation was documented as early as 1450; the chapel is probably considerably older.
The Chapel of the Visitation of Mary in HĂĽngsberg is also associated with a religious tradition: Its bells attract numerous pilgrims, particularly for the Feast of the Visitation of Mary. This reference concerns that feast and does not specify a date for an event.
History along the trails and at the wayside
Since 2018, information signs at eight locations so far in the municipality have marked stops along the “Trail of History and Stories.” They explain the significance and history of each monument to visitors. As you walk, you can take in not only the scenery but also information about local monuments.
At the former silver mine just outside Birkens, the entrances to the tunnels, dug around 1790, are still clearly visible. Information boards stand along the old GĂĽnterscheider Weg, below the fishpond complex. The visible tunnel entrances and the boards give this place a distinctive connection to the history of mining.
Planning your trip
You can reach Windhagen’s “green lung” from the parking lot in the town center by the Sparkasse: Turn into Lärchenstraße opposite and follow it to the bottom. This gives you a specific starting point for finding your way around the area.
The Kirchwies youth campsite accepts reservations. Check the campsite’s reservation terms before booking.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Kasbach-Ohlenberg, Dierdorf, Oberraden, VettelschoĂź, Linz Am Rhein, Anhausen, Buchholz, Ratzert.
Back to the main travel overview: Neuwied.
