The Westerwald

The Westerwald is less well known as a tourist destination than the Eifel, but it is at least equally as attractive! The region stretches from east of Bonn to the Rhine at Koblenz, north-east of the Eifel.

It is a varied area, with countless brooks in the hills and valleys, winding roads making their way through mixed forests, small-scale farmland with many different crops, and panoramic views. In this fascinating region, the village of Pfaffenseifen is 1.5 km down a cul-de-sac from nearby Birkenbeul. A wooded rural area: truly the great outdoors!

The Westerwald is a haven of peace and the perfect place to relax. Not least because of its particularly mild climate and healthy air. You can go on hikes, ranging from short walks near the house to long hikes lasting several days (the Westerwaldsteig passes right by Pfaffenseifen).

A trip to the Westerwald will most certainly bring you close to nature. If you like hiking, then you will be completely in your element! The Westerwaldsteig trail runs through the highland area, which is bordered by the Sieg, Dill, Lahn, and Rhine rivers. If you prefer an easier pace, then it is also possible to hike from monastery to monastery. The Westerwald is still a pristine environment.

For more information about the Westerwald, please visit the Federal State of Rheinland Palatinate’s official tourist website..

Hiking

The Westerwald is ideal for long walks and/or beautiful cycling tours. From Haus zum Pfaffenzeifen you walk straight into the woods, where the regional trail R11 connects you to many other walks, with the largest and best known being the Westerwaldsteig.

Biking

The Westerwald is great for biking too, being relaxed (standard or electric bike) along villages and rivers or sportive and challenging on a Racing- or Mountainbike. The nearest mountainbike-track can be found a few metres from the front door, a more relaxed start goes the other way on the paved road.

The surroundings of Pfaffenseifen

In half an hour walking from Pfaffenseifen you’ll find the 34m high “Raiffeisen observation tower, which gives a magnificent view of the Westerwald from the seven-hills-region up to the Eifel. Close to Pfaffenseifen you will find lovely villages, such as Hilgenroth, Altenkirchen and Hamm/Sieg, the birthplace of Raiffeisen, founder of the Cooperative Banking system. The 300 years old Marienthal monastery, at about five kilometers distance, is nowadays a training institute of the diocese of Cologne. At the other side, hidden in the woods behind the village of Pracht one can find the old medieval village called Hassel, now Buddhist monastry and community Dhamma-Theravada. In the valley between Breitscheidt and Hamm you will find the outdoor swimming pool ‘Thalhauser Mühle’ inviting you to a swim in the crystal clear water of the river.

Getting there

Pfaffenseifen is easy to get to, at only three hours drive from Utrecht by car or four hours by train (ICE via Keulen). Less then an hour’s drive from Pfaffenseifen are the beautiful historic cities of Bonn and Keulen, which can be easily reached by train too. The regional train service between Au and Altenkirchen has a stop at a 20 min. walk from the house.

Photo gallery

The pictures below give a good impression of the Westerwald and were allmost all made by us, in 2013 or 2014 (click one of the pictures to see them in a slideshow). Captions are in Dutch only, unformtunately.