Wanderparadies Sahrbachtal – ab Altenahr

The Sahrbachweg in the Ahr Valley has been on our list for a long time. This approximately 8 km long path from Kreuzberg to Kirchsahr leads along narrow paths from the mouth of the Ahr against the flow to the village of Kirchsahr, hiking around half of the stream. The path alone was too short for us, so we extended it without further ado! 👍 First we hike along the Sahrbachweg. Although a road runs parallel to it in places, it is very quiet today at least. And so we enjoy the narrow path along the babbling stream. From Kirchsahr we climb up to the Hochthürmen mountain and are rewarded with a great view of the Siebengebirge. If you were previously more in the valley or in the stream meadow, you can now enjoy great views from above, sometimes towards the Siebengebirge, sometimes towards the Ahrgebirge. This is even topped off by a viewing bench that offers a view in both directions and also offers a break in the sunshine! 👍☀️Soon we go downhill again on a steep path and we come across the Vischelbach, which also flows to the Ahr. Now we turn onto the summit path - a super nice end to this successful round! Unfortunately there is still a bridge missing in Altenahr, so we have to leave the summit path a little earlier than originally planned. Sahrbachweg: https://www.ahrtal.de/touren/sahrbachweg/tour.html Sahrbach: https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahrbach Burg Kreuzberg: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_Kreuzberg_(Rheinland-Pfalz)

I started my hike at Altenahr train station, where the parking lot is also located. Parking costs €5, and the proceeds continue to be used for reconstruction efforts following the flood. At the beginning, the Sahrbach Valley was shrouded in thick fog, giving the landscape a very special, almost mystical atmosphere. Since sunshine was forecast for around noon, I deliberately chose to hike in the opposite direction. My goal: to enjoy the sun later on the higher ground with its panoramic views. Surprisingly, however, a few rays of sunshine appeared as soon as I started, which immediately lifted my spirits. I followed the Sahrbach Trail, always alongside the Sahrbach stream, until about kilometer 11. This section was one of the most beautiful parts of the entire hike for me: hardly any inclines, a heavenly setting, and absolute peace and quiet. I barely noticed the parallel L76 road, as there was very little to no traffic. However, large amounts of leaves were frequently scattered across the path, making it difficult to discern its course at times. The numerous information panels along the trail provided helpful orientation. At kilometer 11, I switched to the Römersteig/Ahr-Urft-Weg trail. Immediately afterward came the first steep climb of about 1 kilometer, which required me to slow down considerably. The effort was worthwhile, however: at kilometer 13, a fantastic panoramic view of the Sahrbach Valley opened up before me, accompanied by glorious weather. More beautiful views of fields, quiet stretches of forest, and several well-preserved half-timbered houses followed. From about kilometer 16, the trail continued along narrow forest paths toward Vischelbach. After crossing the Vischel Valley, the next strenuous climb awaited me. Shortly before reaching it, I struck up a conversation with an older gentleman who, due to the upcoming ascents and descents, decided to turn back. The climb to the Jesus statue was narrow and, in places, surfaced with slate, but easily manageable with good footwear. Here I took my second break and was rewarded with a breathtaking view over Altenburg and down into the Ahr Valley. The last two kilometers were quite challenging: extremely narrow, steep paths, some heavily covered with leaves, demanded utmost caution and concentration. Afterward, the trail descended steeply until I finally returned to the valley floor and Altenahr. A demanding but incredibly varied hike with many scenic highlights. The combination of a misty start, sunny high-altitude trails, and spectacular views made this tour a truly memorable experience. Sure footing and good hiking boots are highly recommended.

With my “companion” Michael Schulze (https://weggefaehrunge.com/) I was in the Sahrbachtal and the Vischelbachtal, two side valleys of the Ahrtal. The weather wasn't so great that you had great visibility, but at least there was only so little drizzle that you could leave the rain poncho in your backpack. In Kreuzberg you can still see the damage from the flood of 2021, and you can't even imagine that the Ahr and even the small tributary Sahrbach were so high that they could cause damage to the houses and, for example, the railway bridge. For hikers, the Sahrbachtal is an idyll. The hike starts in Kreuzberg, with Kreuzberg Castle above the town, then goes along the stream, you come to an old mining tunnel, a lot through wonderful forest (here and there dead spruces, but a lot of mixed forest), then it goes a long way up the mountain up. The distant view at the top. Then in the village of Krälingen stop at the “Alte Krähe” inn, which I highly recommend. Then a small section of road, then back into the forest and down into the Vischelbachtal, you slowly approach the stream, the sound of which slowly becomes louder. The only problem with the hike is the poor accessibility because the railway hasn't been rebuilt yet. Otherwise, a highly recommended hike. The paths are looked after by volunteers from the surrounding towns – great!

After training diligently all week, we were able to extend our km performance a bit today and tackle the big Sahrbachtal loop. The Sahrbachweg is a beautiful path that runs almost exclusively along the edge of the forest from Kirchsahr to Kreuzberg. Upon reaching the Ahr, we took a break and watched the sparkling water. After that, it got strenuous, the Gottfried Kinkelweg leads steeply uphill. To support myself, I found some hiking poles in the forest, which worked great! 😂👍 In Krälingen, we stopped by Café Alte Krähe. Although we were there half an hour before opening time, we were served kindly! Coffee and cake were very delicious. The food on the menu is formulated in an extremely original way! 😍👌 Thus strengthened, we went on the last part of the loop, with the Römerweg and the last part of the Sahrbachweg, it was a varied final sprint! Conclusion: A great circular hike that I can highly recommend!! 🤩 And with that, a wonderful hiking week comes to an end.

The tour as a video: https://youtu.be/dQgppoZDD1s?si=DghML3MdKGnZxLNW On July 20th, 2024 we once again made a detour to the Ahr Valley, where this time we were met again in Altenahr and explored a piece of new territory with the Sahrbachweg. Of course we couldn't ignore the obligatory hotspots (Are Castle and Teufelsloch), so we included them in the tour. It was a very nice tour along the Ahr and the Sahrbach, with the climb to the 500m high Hochthürmen and the climb to the 351m high Ditschhardt costing us a lot of energy. But with temperatures reaching 32°C at times, this was not surprising. The initial climbs to Are Castle and Teufelsloch were tough again, but the temperatures here were much more bearable. Five liters of water weren't enough, but thanks to the Barbara spring we were able to refill our supplies on the way and there was a reserve bottle waiting for us at the car, although the temperature was somewhere over 40°C. So tea without taste is probably a better description 😆 We couldn't pass by the nearby shop of the Mayschoß/Altenahr wine cooperative and so a few cartons of the good Ahr wine found their way into our trunk. Ahr Valley, always beautiful, always happy to come back! 👍

Absolutely recommendable round with a wonderful ridge path at the end of the tour 🤩🤩

We chose the Sahrtalweg today. A nice, shady path. Afterwards we went back via Heinrich-Kippel Weg. This leads partly over beautiful meadows, but also has partly overgrown sections.

A hike with an old friend took us through a beautiful natural area starting in Altenahr. The route started on asphalt, continued on asphalt towards the end, and included many lovely paths in between. Concentration was key for the ascents and descents, as the drops were quite steep. The singletrack sections were also very interesting. We made it through everything safely. The hike took a bit longer than expected, as it was getting dark towards the end. But then we were back on asphalt.