Pleasure tour 21: "Another world" Petergensfeld

Again and again a nice round from Petergensfeld (car park at the Schützenhalle), through the Wesertal, over the Weserberg to the confluence of the Weser and Eschbach. Up the Eschbach to the Kutenhard Venn to Reinartzhof, along the Steinbach and Weser back to Petergensfeld.

Through Weserbachtal, Steinbachtal and Eschbachtal up to the high plateau of the High Fens - and that with the best autumn weather! The seemingly calm streams reveal the legacies of the July flood: demolition edges, destroyed bridges, rubble on paths and piled wood. The tour is not for small children because it is adventurous in places and with branching roots at the foot. It is essential to wear high hiking shoes, also because the paths are damp in places and are waded through streams. There was a lot going on for a Saturday. Conclusion: wonderful hike. Definitely do it.

"Rough and untouched, this landscape challenges body and mind. This hike leads deep into the forest and to the edge of the Kutenhart Fens." This is how the hike in the German-Belgian border region is described. And indeed, the varied hike has a lot to offer: heathlands, moss-covered forests, and colorful flower meadows. A largely wild landscape. For a large part of the route, you'll also be accompanied by the pleasant, gentle sound of two streams, first along the Weser stream and later along the Eschbach stream. The tall ferns and grasses halfway through the hike are already harbingers of the heathland that thrives in the eastern part of the High Fens. A particularly barren area that people seem to avoid. Behind a bend, the remains of the Reinartzhof farm, whose lands lay on the edge of the Fens, appear. In 1953, a particularly severe snowstorm cut the farms off from the outside world, and the residents had to be rescued by helicopter. The farm never fully recovered from this blow. Five years later, the farms located in the Weser Dam catchment area were expropriated to protect water quality. Since then, nature has once again reigned supreme over the former hamlet, and with it, absolute silence has taken over – "The Times There Are A-Changin'." A quick note about the trail conditions: with the exception of two paved sections, the hike mostly follows narrow paths with rustic roots. A great trail, but a certain degree of surefootedness and attention is required.

Today we started our hike in Roetgen. Despite occasional drizzle, mud, slippery roots, and stones, it was still a fantastic hike. The route led mostly along small forest and root-covered paths beside the streams Eschbach, Steinbach, and Weser, mostly through Belgian territory, before returning to Roetgen. To finish off the day, we stopped for refreshments together in Roetgen. Despite the weather, it was another wonderful Sunday hike.

It was a very interesting hike. Weser has hardly any water, so I walked on the river stones without any problems. I also tried a pair of blackberries.

After a tip from @Rimo today I walked a route from Roetgen along the Weser, Eschbach, Steinbach and the Venn...it is a bright sunny day with spring-like temperatures of 17 degrees, where my fleece jacket quickly came off...a beautiful walk over great tree root paths, along the babbling water of the streams and the silence in the woods...it was beautiful to see how the water made its way over stone and boulders...at the many small waterfalls it was always time to stand still and enjoy...a relaxing and relaxed walk today, although there was also the occasional challenge of how to get over the small streams on the other side with dry feet...after a wet period it will certainly be a bit more difficult to walk here, because then it will be more slippery over the many tree roots and the stony paths...thanks again @Rimo for the great tip👌...I enjoyed it again today..😁

Today I immersed myself in another world on the pleasure hike 21. The tour starts in Röttgen directly at the tourist center, which is located on the Ravel. From here you first walk through the settlement towards Petergensfeld or Wald. At the first small bridge that crosses the Weser, you turn off into adventure. The path quickly becomes wild and unstable, you have to be careful where you step and sometimes climb a bit. Later you leave this path and follow the Eschbach upstream. It also goes uphill on a path that is initially wider and later becomes increasingly narrower. This is often muddy and covered in roots, so some caution is required. This doesn't make for quick progress, but the adventurous nature makes up for it. In places you really have the feeling that you are not in the High Fens but in a completely different landscape. Finally you reach the Porfelt and walk along this part of the Fens. As you turn back into the forest, there is a rest bench on the way at exactly the right time. After a refreshment, we go to the information boards at the Reinartzhof and the pilgrimage chapel. The path continues further downhill to the stone bridge. Here you turn again onto an adventurous path that follows the Steinbach. I have rarely seen so many stones on and in the stream. You can also see very clearly that the Steinbach has a fairly large bed. So if it has rained heavily, I think you should be careful on this path along the Steinbach. We continue back along the Mückenheide, which still lives up to its name even in October. In my opinion, the route from or to the bridge over the Weser could be adapted by walking through the forest on a small path to the lower end of Mühlenstrasse. But in the end I didn't have the energy to try out this route option. Tour template: https://www.ostbelgien.eu/de/fiche/hiking/genusstour-21-petergensfeld

My conclusion on this tour: A fantastic, natural tour through dense forest area along wild streams and rivers that arise in the high plateau of the High Fens! 👌😃 If you like to run on single trails and root paths and want to have the rushing of numerous streams in your ears, this is the place for you! 💦 The unspoilt nature on the Weser, Eschbach and Steinbach offers countless spots for wonderful photos and to relax away from the busy paths. But this route also includes the note that I would definitely recommend sturdy shoes and a certain amount of surefootedness. The paths are uneven, overgrown with roots, slippery and sometimes muddy, so you have to find a little bypass here or there or take a bold jump ... 😉 The flood of July 21 also left its angry traces on the paths and the streams (e.g. the bridge over the Eschbach was destroyed) ... 😳 But the unique experience of nature on this way surely more than makes up for this experience !!! 😁 +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ https://www.ostbelgien.eu/de/fiche/hiking/genusstour-21-petergesfeld Marking: green-white rectangle. "Rough and untouched, this landscape challenges body and mind. This hike leads deep into the forest and to the edge of the Kutenhart-Venn. Somehow it is reminiscent of heathland or tundra areas in more northerly countries. In this hot August month, the Eschbach has dried up. We follow the dried up river bed in the direction of the source and advance into an ever wilder nature. The tall ferns and grasses are already harbingers of the heathland that thrives in the east of the High Fens. A particularly barren area that people seem to avoid. The remains of the Reinartzhof, whose lands were on the edge of the Venn, appear around a bend. In 1953, a particularly violent snowstorm cut off the farmsteads from the outside world and the residents had to be taken care of by helicopter. The farm would never fully recover from this blow. 5 years later, the farms that are located in the catchment area of the Weser Reservoir are expropriated to protect the water quality. Since then, nature has mastered the former hamlet again and with it absolute silence has moved in. " Start finish: 52159 Roetgen, hiking / train station 50 ° 38'49.3 "N 6 ° 11'04.2" E