"Like a fresh breeze" - is how the Westerwald holiday region likes to describe itself and it truly is a refreshing, verdant area with vast forests and tranquil river valleys. The rivers Rhine, Sieg, Dill and Lahn encircle the Westerwald forest, many parts of which still remain completely wild. This part of Germany is ideal for hiking and other outdoor activities. The long-distance hiking trail "Westerwald-Steig" leads for example to a rocky area called "the end of the world". Westerwald people, or "Wällers", are very close to their roots and celebrate their local festivals and fairs each year with pride.
Lush meadows, verdant forests, a gentle breeze: it can only be the Westerwald. And through the heart of this glorious region runs the WesterwaldSteig, 235 kilometres of natural beauty where every step brings a new delight. The trail runs through eight different natural environments: the Hessian Westerwald, the Upper Westerwald/Lake Wiesensee, the Westerwald lakes, Kroppach Switzerland, the Siegtal valley, the Raiffeisenland region, the Wied valley and the Rhine-Westerwald nature reserve.
Hikers enjoy the view from the Hedwig Tower (Hedwigsturm) in Bad Marienberg on the WesterwaldSteig, Westerwald
At the end of his eventful trip through Rhineland‑Palatinate, Martin Seidler arrives at the raw beauty of the Kannenbäckerland in the lovely Westerwald. Clay has been shaping the life and works of the specialist potters and creative craftsmen here for more than 7,000 years. It is an ancient art that is still mostly hand-crafted to this day. Machines do not help much with delicate work. The video shows you how the typical blue colour of the Westerwald ceramics is made.
