The best hikes from bus stations around Dierdorf

This is a constructively special bench, invites you to linger.

One must hope that it will never burn 😉

"The Holzbach is a nearly 44 km long river in the Westerwald, which flows into the Wied from the left and southeast near Döttesfeld in the Neuwied district of Rhineland-Palatinate... The Holzbach is the outflow of one of the Westerwald lakes in the so-called Westerwald Lake District, namely the 21-hectare Brinkenweiher, located a few hundred meters east of Steinen in the Westerwald district at 410 m above sea level. This has a short tributary from the northeast, less than a kilometer long. It initially drains via a canal into the Postweiher, which in turn flows into the Hausweiher, at whose outflow the actual course of the Holzbach begins. It initially flows west, passes Hartenfels on its southern edge, and then crosses the Holzbachtal nature reserve and immediately afterward the Herschbach... The stream was sponsored by the Martin-Butzer-Gymnasium in Dierdorf through Holzbach AG..." MORE INFORMATION: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holzbach_(Wied,_D%C3%B6ttesfeld)

"On Palm Sunday, March 25, 1945, the town was bombed and half destroyed during the Allied advance. The town suffered 71 casualties at that time. More than 50 houses were completely destroyed, and many of the remaining houses suffered significant damage. One day later, on March 26, 1945, Dierdorf was occupied by US Army troops after brief skirmishes with the retreating remnants of the Wehrmacht. According to American sources, 67 Martin B-26 "Marauder" bombers flew the air raid on Dierdorf. They dropped a total of 272 bombs over the target area in eight waves. Each bomb weighed 450 kg." https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dierdorf

<< Owl Tower >> "Remains of the listed city fortifications, built after 1357, are still preserved on the Holzbach dam. The "Untertorturm," later renamed the "Owl Tower," is an approximately 27-meter-high round tower, a typical medieval defense tower. It also served as a dungeon. Today, a fire brigade museum is located there. With remnants of the city wall, it testifies to the medieval importance of the settlement, which was granted city rights by Charles IV in 1357." https://www.tourenplaner-rheinland-pfalz.de/de/punkt/historische-staette/eulenturm/56629324/

"The almost 40 km long Holzbachtalbahn Altenkirchen – Siershahn was opened on May 31, 1884, by the Prussian State Railway for passenger and freight traffic. Ore and clay mines, as well as the shipping of timber, basalt, and finished products from the ceramics industry, soon ensured a brisk freight traffic, while passenger traffic never really gained a foothold in the sparsely populated Westerwald region. After the Second World War, traffic declined noticeably. The branch line was hit particularly hard by the decline of ore and clay mining, with the result that, in addition to the always unprofitable passenger traffic, freight traffic also soon became unprofitable. The last passenger train ran at the end of May 1984, before all traffic between Selters and Dierdorf was discontinued in 1988. At least the railway system survived, but it gradually fell into disrepair. In the 1990s, there was even a threat of complete withdrawal from freight traffic, with the exception of Selters station, where an expanding industrial company was responsible for the corresponding Freight volumes. With the takeover of the Altenkirchen – Selters section by the Altenkirchen district in 2005, the final closure of the Holzbachtalbahn north of Selters was prevented. Since then, it has been used continuously for freight transport again, before the continued existence of the Holzbachtalbahn was again called into question in 2017. Since November 26, 2018, LWS Lappwaldbahn Service GmbH has owned the Altenkirchen – Selters section, which remains open to all interested railway undertakings. Since 2021, a fundamental upgrade of the infrastructure has been underway, ensuring a secure future for the railway. This is an important prerequisite for companies in the railway catchment area that are interested in returning to rail. Of course, use for excursion and tourism traffic will also be possible. https://www.lappwaldbahn.de/service/westerwald/ https://www.westerwaelder-bahnen.net/index.php?nav=1000139&lang=1

The Holzbach stream dominates the landscape of the Dierdorf Depression on its 44-kilometer-long course from Steinen via Herschbach to Dierdorf and on to Döttesfeld in the Puderbach region. In Döttesfeld, the Holzbach finally flows into the Wied River.

Beautiful old city tower with remains of the former city walls.