Discover Limbach: Hiking and Village History

Limbach combines hiking trails with striking traces of slate mining and a village museum in a historic half-timbered barn. This gives you different options when planning your trip: trails along the river and to viewpoints, or time to explore local and mining history. The routes themselves show just how varied Limbach is to discover on foot.

Hiking trails with different destinations

Limbach offers more than 25 circular hiking trails, covering well over 300 kilometres in total. Together, they link the WesterwaldSteig with additional local trails. Distance is therefore not the only factor when choosing a route: the trails also lead to a variety of sights and landscapes.

The “Deutsches Eck des Westerwaldes” (Westerwald’s German Corner) trail starts at the Haus des Gastes. It crosses the Kleine Nister via the old stone arch bridge in Limbach and passes the village museum. A detour takes you to the Hartenberg viewpoint, with views across the Kroppacher Schweiz. On the way back to Limbach, the route passes the Lützelauer Mühle. The starting point, river crossing, viewpoint and return route give this trail a clear sequence.

The WesterwaldSteig’s tenth stage offers a different route: it leaves Limbach along the Kleine Nister towards Heunigs Höhlenweg and Hohe Ley. The Druidensteig also leads to Limbach on its seventh stage, highlighting the village museum and the Assberg visitor mine. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

Assberg: Slate Mine and Visitor Mine

The historic Assberg slate mine, also known as “Schiwakoul,” lies directly on the WesterwaldSteig, the Marienwanderweg and the Druidensteig. The mine is freely accessible to visitors and hikers; check its access status before travelling. The mine site includes an open quarry about 240 metres long and 70 metres wide. Underground areas lie 20 metres below ground and are reached via more than three staircases.

The mine combines a visible landscape feature with traces of underground mining. Together with its location on three hiking trails, it makes a destination in its own right for anyone who wants to combine a hike with industrial history. The “Deutsches Eck des Westerwaldes” trail offers different highlights: its route includes the stone arch bridge, Hartenberg and the mill.

Village history at “Miens Schauer”

Limbach’s village museum is housed in “Miens Schauer,” a half-timbered barn dating from 1770. The museum displays more than 2,000 exhibits on local history across four floors. The building and collection complement each other: the barn tells the story of historic construction, while the exhibition focuses on the history of the village and its surroundings.

The museum is also on the “Deutsches Eck des Westerwaldes” route. For anyone looking to combine a hike with a cultural stop, it offers a clearly marked point of interest. Together with the Assberg mine, it offers two distinct ways to explore Limbach’s past: local history at the museum and the industrial history of the slate mine.

Plan your visit and journey

Limbach is part of the Kroppacher Schweiz, which lies within the Nistertal Landscape Protection Area. The detour to the Hartenberg viewpoint also offers views across the Kroppacher Schweiz. The landscape is one of the distinctive features that add to a hike in Limbach.

Bus route 270 connects Hachenburg with Streithausen; Limbach is about a 25-minute walk from there. Check the timetable before travelling. There is a free car park at the Haus des Gastes. Check the parking regulations before your visit. Your planned activities can help guide your search for accommodation: will you focus on hiking trails, or would you like to set aside time for the mine and village museum?

More to explore in the Westerwald

The WesterwaldSteig offers a wider hiking experience in the Westerwald: the long-distance trail is 235 kilometres long and has 16 stages. Limbach’s circular trails link it with additional local trails; Stage 10 leaves Limbach along the Kleine Nister towards Heunigs Höhlenweg and Hohe Ley.

Other distinctive themes in the Westerwald include geological history and industrial heritage. Stöffel-Park is a former basalt quarry covering around 140 hectares, where industrial heritage, geological history and nature come together. The park’s TERTIÄRUM displays fossils, including the “Stöffel mouse,” which document around 25 million years of geological history. These regional themes complement Limbach’s own hiking and cultural attractions.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Neuhäusel, Nomborn, Gehlert, Welschneudorf, Kölbingen, Niedersayn, Dreifelden, Elbingen.

For the broader travel overview: Westerwald.