Circular hike Weisel-Loreley

We start in Weisel at the cemetery parking lot and follow the paved “Schäfersgraben” towards Harbacher Mühle. Before entering the valley, we have a distant view into the Hunsrück. After the junction of the Weisel "Harbach-Runde A" we stay on the “Schäfersgraben” for about 150 m more and then turn left. After about 500 m we leave this path and turn right. In this area we need to orient ourselves on the map! We now always stay parallel near the Harbach. At the road between Bornich and Niederwallmenach we must walk about 150 m on the road to cross the Forstbach. We follow the Forstbach and pass the pastures of a large donkey breeding farm. Behind Odin’s mill we continue following the Forstbach, cross it at the next opportunity, and follow it a short distance further. We first keep slightly right but then walk left up the hill. The path leads us to the L338, which we cross and continue on the pedestrian and cycle path next to the road to the right towards St. Goarshausen. On this path, we reach the Loreley plateau. There is also a summer toboggan run here. https://www.loreleybob.de/

In the visitor center, we discover everything worth knowing about the myth of the Loreley, viticulture, the extraordinary fauna and flora, geology, Rhine shipping, and much more. There is also a 3-D film with impressions of the Middle Rhine Valley to watch, and you can refresh yourself in the “Am mythischen Fels” restaurant. Current information about opening times and what to consider can be found at https://www.loreley-besucherzentrum.de/home/ or we enjoy the magnificent view on the terrace of the beer garden at the open-air stage https://www.loreley-biergarten.de/ - here stands the Loreley statue, which stood in front of the reconstruction of the Loreley plateau at the Loreley Hotel. The large Loreley statue is located on the tip of the harbor dam mole at St. Goarshausen. It can be reached by taking the stairway down from the Loreley plateau and walking along the harbor mole to the tip. That, however, adds another 1200 m and 328 steps there and back! Our round leads us up 69 steps along the stairway to the culture and landscape park past great viewpoints towards the rock summit. Those who want to skip the beer garden and stairs can walk directly from the visitor center along the Strahlenweg to the rock summit. Passing more viewpoints, we leave the culture and landscape park via the Mythenpfad in the direction of the access road from the L338 and continue following the Rheinsteig towards Kaub. At Leiselfeld, we can make a short detour to the observation temple. Past Spitznack, we should definitely still descend to the rocky pulpit. A path leads a few meters down from the viewpoint above the rocky pulpit. We continue on the Rheinsteig to a resting place above the descent into the Bornichbachtal. Here, we stay above and now follow the Loreley extra tour towards Bornich to the Loreley ring. Behind the house, however, we immediately turn right again and come between the houses onto a path which we walk left on. Alternatively, one can remain immediately below the houses, but the path is sometimes overgrown. We walk around the outskirts of Bornich. Now it goes in a big arc towards Urbachtal and on the height of Urbachtal further to the Bornich Adolfseiche. On the Balzenhöllerkopf, we enjoy the panoramic view. Before the Adolfseiche, we encounter the trail marking of the Weisel "Urbach-Runde A" and can continue following it. This leads us back onto the “Schäfersweg.”