Discover Obererbach (Westerwald)

Obererbach (Westerwald) is a place of striking contrasts: railway and mining history sit alongside discovery trails, marked hiking routes and opportunities to combine train travel with hiking. When planning your trip, you can compare different options for a day out: a trail with little figurines, the official local hiking route and a longer section of the WesterwaldSteig.

History along the way

Local historic traces include the Marienthal tunnel portal, built around 1895, and a disused ore tunnel on the access path to the WesterwaldSteig. The former mine tunnel has been adapted as a bat roost, connecting a trace of the area’s mining past with a new use.

The railway station, built in 1895, is the municipality’s only listed historic building and continues to serve as a railway stop. The station building itself is privately owned and has been renovated according to the original plans.

Discovery trails and hiking routes

The Obererbacher Wichtelweg is a discovery trail running from the Willi-Eichelhard-Steg by the community centre to the level crossing at the Forsthaus. It features little figurines, and local residents created the trail together with children. Check the trail’s current condition before visiting.

The official Obererbach local hiking route is 7.5 kilometres long and marked with a yellow OE on a black background. There is a shelter along the route with views into the valley. Check for any local diversions before setting out.

The eleventh stage of the WesterwaldSteig passes through Marienthal and by the Raiffeisenturm before reaching Obererbach railway station. It is 9.4 kilometres long and rated moderate. Along the way, views open out across the Bergisches Land, the Siebengebirge and the Altenkirchener Land towards the Westerwald. An additional connecting path of around 1.4 kilometres runs from the Raiffeisenturm to Obererbach railway station, marked with a green W on a yellow background. Check the trail markers on site. The local route is shorter; the two routes differ by 1.9 kilometres.

On the Wald- und Wiesentour, the open views extend towards Altenkirchen; vegetation and visibility can vary with the seasons. The tour has direct rail access via the Westerwald-Sieg-Bahn (RB 90), which connects Siegen, Au/Sieg, Altenkirchen, Hachenburg and Limburg. Another hiking plan can start at Obererbach railway station: you can park there, take the train to the starting point in Marienthal and then hike back. Check the current information from the operators before departure.

Local dining and regional culture

Obererbach has a wine tavern with a restaurant, available by reservation. Arrange your reservation before you arrive. A pond offers fishing; check the local rules before fishing.

In the wider Altenkirchen destination, Marienthal remains a popular pilgrimage site. The Klosterdorfweg trail there loops around the former Franciscan monastery through the Archdiocese of Cologne’s shady spa forest. The story of Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen is also part of this regional perspective: in 1849, he founded the “Flammersfelder Hülfsverein zur Unterstützung unbemittelter Landwirthe” (Flammersfeld Aid Association for Supporting Farmers of Limited Means) in Flammersfeld, the world’s first loan fund association.

Discover more destinations: Kirchen, Daaden, Gebhardshain, Niederdreisbach, Fürthen, Niederirsen, Neitersen, Betzdorf.

Return to the main travel overview: Altenkirchen.