Dream Path Cave and Gorge Trail

From the Bergwege car park, we turn right, hike along a path next to the road until just before the Berghof, and cross K 57. While to our right we spot the Hummerich, a 425 meter high elevation, the winding path gently slopes downwards. Occasional orchard trees catch our attention, a gentle breeze swings down into the valley, the air smells fresh and light, and the first dream station already awaits us enticingly on a curve.

Immediately after, we reach a crosswise field path, which we follow left down into the Krayerbachtal. The meadows still glisten with dew early in the morning, and cheerfully we leave meter after meter behind us, strolling past willow bushes and fenced meadows until we reach K 58. We walk a few meters to the right along it, carefully cross it, and continue our path past Dammhof now through the Pöntertal. We leave the Pöntermühle shortly on the left, enjoy the lively stream and its no less lively tributaries, and almost regret it when about 100 meters after a shelter we have to leave the dreamy Pöntertal over a solid wooden bridge.

Steps bring us quickly uphill, a forest road takes us to the right. Rough rocks push up close beside our path in the leafy forest, which after a few curves changes to a narrower trail where we first proceed calmly and later, due to the steeper ascent, breathe deeply as we gain height.

After a final determined climb, we pass through beech forest over the ridge called 'An der Schmaldrift', pass a shooting range, and walk right on the forest path to the Schweppenburg viewpoint, which lies a few meters off our route. Schweppenburg, first mentioned in 1365, rises on a hill in the Brohltal; the notable features of this sturdy fortified castle are its Gothic turrets.

Now we approach the other hillside through leafy forest and along meadows, pass a shelter, and about 50 meters later turn right onto a narrowing path that leads us close to the trees. After 100 meters, the beautiful view into the Brohltal and up to the Olbrück castle ruins awaits us.

From the viewpoint with dream lounger and bench, we descend on a narrow path to a forest road which we follow to the right. A right curve invites another view, albeit less spectacular, before we begin the steep descent into the Brohltal about 50 meters later. The path winds downward over embedded steps, requiring caution in wet or snowy conditions. In the valley, we continue left on our way.

We cross the bridge over the Brohlbach and then the B 412, walk under the massive viaduct of the Brohltalbahn and arrive over a meadow at the ensemble of trass caves, some of which we pass through. These volcanic deposits were ground into trass at the trass mills until the 20th century—for example, in the Mosenmühle near Schweppenburg—and used as mortar components.

After the trass caves, we cross the federal road and the Brohlbach a second time and walk a few meters up L 113 to the senior residence Bad Tönisstein. In the café or the beer cellar there, we can take a break before climbing into the slope behind the building complex. Along the hillside, the well-maintained path also takes us past Tönisstein Monastery, which is not recommended for visits due to safety reasons. On a trass rock, a pilgrimage chapel was built here in the 14th century; later in 1498, a Carmelite monastery was established which was dissolved in 1802, and today only some foundations remain.

After almost 200 meters, we reach L 113 again but immediately turn right into the Wolf Gorge. On a narrow path, we hike up the picturesque gorge to the waterfall. About 13,000 years ago, volcanic streams poured into the gorge, filling it with mud in which the water carved its new bed over millennia.

We walk over wooden bridges and along root-covered or rocky paths admiring the near-primeval forest vegetation with toppled giant trees. The rugged tuff walls draw our gaze upward while the sometimes deeply carved stream valley lets our eyes look far down. The Wolf Gorge ends at the 6-meter high waterfall, where we leave the valley in short loops.

We cross the country road and follow the path for about 700 meters to the Roman spring. Along the way, we also observe the entrance to the former Bartholt copper ore mine, now long inhabited by bats; the mining itself was not very profitable.

A sulfur smell rises from the Roman spring. We continue our hike on a field path that leads us near the Wassenacher Bach slightly uphill between meadows and fields with a view of the village until we turn left at another spring. Now we ascend more quickly, and as the path enters the deciduous forest, it winds cheerfully but clearly upward.

We leave a young birch forest behind and reward ourselves for the short effort with a view over the wide open fields. While we continue almost wistfully, our gaze slides across the heights. But wait, we stop once more to check the promising name at the Siebengebirge viewpoint for its truthfulness. Indeed, in good weather, the outlines of the mountains along the Rhine emerge far away.

After we have looked our fill, we happily leave the last meters behind us—but perhaps our stomach rumbles, and we round off our hike at the rest area at the endpoint with a meal.