Dollberg Loop Dream Route

The starting point of the route is the Köhlerhütte at the foot of the Dollbergs. From here, the path initially leads southwest along the forest edge above Neuhütten. After a short forest section, the L 166 is crossed, and the path turns north. Over meadows, we descend into the valley of the Altbach. We follow the stream through the narrow valley, cross the water over a newly built wooden bridge, and walk a bit through the forest. Shortly after, we reach the industrial monument "Züscher Hammer." This ironworks was the largest of its kind in the Hunsrück in the 17th century. Driven by the water of the Altbach, the hammer can today be made to "strike" again for demonstrations. We continue to follow the stream and pass the forebay of the Nonnweiler reservoir. Shortly after, we see the reservoir. The lake, with an area of one square kilometer, is an important drinking water reservoir. About 2 km are walked along the southern lakeside path, which is broadly expanded here. After a large loop, our path leaves the lakeshore. We walk past the natural monument Kloppbruchswiese and circle the eponymous Kloppbruch pond on a narrow path. Then we reach the Hunnenring Otzenhausen forest parking lot, which can also be chosen as the starting point of the route. We cross the L 147. On the other side of the street, a 2.5-hectare Celtic park with Celtic museum and information center is being built (construction time until 2014). We continue on a forest path that initially ascends only slightly and reach the Mannfelsen, a high wall of Taunus quartzites. Here begins a steep climbing section over rocks up to the Celtic ring fort. Along the way, a sensory bench offers a wonderful view of the reservoir. On this strenuous ascent, about 200 meters of elevation are overcome. The path leads right through the height fortification, which was built in the 1st century BC as one of the most important Celtic fortifications or oppida in Europe. The ring fort, built with 240,000 cubic meters of stones, is preserved up to about 10 meters high and can be walked on today. Numerous information boards take us back 2500 years. We leave the site over the mighty north wall and reach the Dollberg ridge over a gently ascending forest path. After a long straight section, we turn sharply left and return after 800 m to the Köhlerhütte, our starting point.

Source: Hunsrück Tourism