Dunzweiler - Bergmannsbauern-Weg (Circular route - 11.9 km)

Track types

Safety information

NOTE:

We strive to announce all closures caused by forestry work, hunting parties, etc., on our hiking paths in the region on this platform.

Nevertheless, situations occur where hiking trails are closed and we have not been informed.

Any hiker who walks through closed areas (barrier tape, "Caution Hunting" etc.), including on weekends, acts with gross negligence and is responsible for their actions!

Partly, the hiking trail leads over narrow paths.

Good footwear is required.

Areas in nature reserves are unsuitable for strollers!

Especially in autumn, pay attention to fallen leaves on the ground that may cover uneven surfaces, roots, stones, or holes in the path.

You should expect path impairments of this kind when undertaking a hike.

If you judge that certain trail sections are impassable for you, you should bypass them.

Especially in adverse weather conditions, natural paths may have muddy and slippery sections.

Tips and suggestions

Municipal Association Upper Glan Valley

Rathausstraße 8, 66901 Schönenberg-Kübelberg

Phone:   06373/504-0

Internet:  www.vgog.de

Email:     poststelle@vgog.de

(13) Protestant Church Dunzweiler

Dunzweiler already had a chapel here in medieval times, which according to a document from 1108 belonged as a branch to the Ohmbach parish and remained so until 1638. The 1405 statute mentions the "Church of Dontzwilre". During the Thirty Years' War, the village Dunzweiler and its chapel were destroyed. In 1695/96, under the supervision and orders of the Waldmohr mayor, the "Church at Duntzweiller" was restored and mostly rebuilt with solid masonry. In 1716, major repairs were carried out by Josef Jung, a stonemason from Tyrol near Waldmohr.

In 1840-41, the church was rebuilt in its current form based on designs by Speyer building inspector August von Voit. The architect's somewhat unusual Gothic revival style was due to historic preservation reasons. The designs of 1838 incorporated the historic fabric of the Gothic church tower, but due to structural problems, the old tower had to be completely demolished and rebuilt.

(14) Dunzweiler Mill and Brickworks

The former Dunzweiler Mill on the Klingbach developed into an independent district away from the village by the 19th century. In 1570, Hieronymus Zimmermann built his mill on the site of today's Dunzweiler Mill. In the 16th century, Dunzweiler had three mills, two of which were not rebuilt after the Thirty Years' War. The "Hieronymus Mill" was rebuilt in 1694. The mill thrived mainly under the energetic Becker miller family from Heppenheim. They had to pay two Malter of grain and 2 Kapaune mill rent. The millers constantly complained about water shortages. In 1724, a brickworks was mentioned for the first time near the mill, the Dunzweiler millers were also brickmakers. In 1737, the mill came into the possession of the Glaser miller family. The "Dunzweiler Pletschmill" had an overshot waterwheel, a grinding and a peeling process "in the Trillis", and a mill pond. In 1788, the mill and brickworks were separated. Around 1855, the mill came into the possession of the Roos miller family, active there until the 1960s, last operated by miller Eugen Roos with turbine drive. Milling operations ceased in 1970. The brickworks near the mill already disappeared in the 19th century.

(15) Deserted Village Hübschweiler

In the Middle Ages, the settlement density in our home region was much higher than today. Small hamlets and farms arose even in unfavorable locations, where inhabitants cleared forest and established fields and meadows. In the Dunzweiler boundary there were such small settlements: Holzweiler, southeast of Dunzweiler in the area of the Kieskauter Forest. Tilemann Stella mentioned in 1564: "Hubschwiler and Holtzwiler, two old farms facing Dontzweiler on the mountain. Now deserted." In 1470, inhabitants "at Hubschwiler" were still mentioned. However, it was located deep in the forest. Several field names still recall this village today: Hübschweiler Born, Hübschweiler Berg, Hübschweiler Dell, and In Hübschweiler. Apparently, the village was abandoned around 1500 due to poor soil conditions. In 1717, an official from Palatinate-Zweibrücken wrote of the "desolate village Hubschweiler, later moved for better convenience to Dunzweiler". Thus, the inhabitants resettled in Dunzweiler. Numerous deserted villages like this are found in the Westrich and are called "Wüstungen".

(16) The Hengstwald and Roman Finds

As early as the 18th century, the Hengstwald was surrounded by legends. Folk tales claimed there was a large monastery here that sank into the earth due to the godless life of its monks. In fact, 1741 important Roman finds were made in the Hengstwald – probably originally called "Heunischwald", i.e. Forest of the Heathens: artistic reliefs and sculptures, chariot scenes, Mercury and Vesta. Coins of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Gratian prove the settlement's existence from 161 to 383 AD. These finds are now lost. Archaeological excavations in 1872 and 1902 at two sites revealed numerous Roman architectural fragments (mistakenly called "Sanctuary of Waldmohr"). In 1902, remains of a small villa rustica with bath and hypocaust were uncovered. Highlights among the finds are a 1.18 m high finely crafted rounded torso of a monumental equestrian statue with hooded cloak, missing head and legs, and a sea creature with predator head and snake tail ("sea panther"), remains of a large tomb, now in the Historical Museum in Speyer. Also notable is the Diana spring at the edge of the Hollerklamm, named after finds around 1815 attributed to the huntress goddess Diana. The Hengstwald was also a favorite hunting ground of the Dukes of Zweibrücken.

(17) Marien Chapel Waldziegelhütte

The Marien Chapel Waldziegelhütte was built in 1924-25 as an exemplary testimony of rural piety and is designed in the tradition of the Heimatstil style. The plans for the simple chapel with a roof turret and short pointed arch windows were created by architect Jakob Metzger from Kaiserslautern and his brother construction officer August Metzger from Speyer. Both builders originated from Waldziegelhütte. The construction work was carried out by local master mason Alois Metzger with strong support from the inhabitants of Waldziegelhütte. The chapel was solemnly blessed on October 4, 1925, by Dean Theodor Schleburg from Homburg-Erbach. A small bell was installed a year later and the stone altar erected in 1928. The wooden crucifix on the outer wall of the choir, dating from 1922, was erected in honor of the two fallen from Waldziegelhütte.

(18) Waldziegelhütte         

In a beautifully scenic location at the foothills of the 518-meter-high Höcherberg lies the small hamlet of Waldziegelhütte. The Waldmohr district arose around the mid-18th century from a brickworks. However, the northern houses of Waldziegelhütte belong to Dunzweiler, as the municipal boundary between Waldmohr and Dunzweiler runs through the northern half of the village.

(18) Waldziegelhütte       

In a beautifully scenic location at the foothills of the 518-meter-high Höcherberg lies the small hamlet Waldziegelhütte. The Waldmohr district arose around the mid-18th century from a brickworks. The northern houses of Waldziegelhütte belong to Dunzweiler, because the municipal boundary between Waldmohr and Dunzweiler runs through the northern half of the village.

(32) Glan Valley and Dörrberg Pond

The two ponds at Dörrberg, idyllically located in a widening of the Glan Valley, are fed by the Mörschbach, an early tributary of the Glan. In a historical description from 1564, the surveyor Tilemann Stella called this valley floor section "Mohrer Grundt ... rises first and foremost in Hechen and extends down through Walt Mor." Stella called the Glan even then the "furnemst bach" - the most important watercourse - "which has its origin above in Hechen." In fact, the Glan is, at 90 km long, the most important tributary of the Nahe and the longest river in the Palatinate Highland. The name Glan comes from Celtic and probably means "bright, clear, shining, flowing." From the Glan source in Höchen at about 400 m above sea level, the river descends about 270 m to its mouth below Odernheim. With a shelter, barbecue area, and playground, the two Dörrberg ponds form a popular local recreation area for the town of Waldmohr.

(33) Mine Railway        Film on the topic!

With the construction of the Glantalbahn between and Homburg, a branch line towards the "Nordfeld" mine for coal transport was built in 1902 from the Waldmohr/Jägersburg station. The so-called Nordfeldbahn ran as a standard gauge railway through Waldmohr to the loading station at Dörrberg. In the town center, next to the Glan bridge, it crossed the important state road (formerly main road, today Rathausstraße), where there was a barrier for traffic safety. Nearby, on the former "coal dump" (today Weiherstraße 4), a sales area with loading facilities for horse-drawn wagons was created. The provisional commissioning was approved in late October 1902, and the official opening took place in spring 1903. At the same time, the section Waldmohr-Jägersburg-Homburg of the Glantalbahn was also opened for coal trains. The inauguration of the entire Glantal line (Bad Münster-Homburg) was on May 1, 1904. Due to the abrupt closure of the Nordfeld mine on January 1, 1905, the short episode of the Nordfeldbahn ended. A section of the Bergmannsbauern path today runs over the former railway line from Weiherstraße to Dörrberg.

(34) Loading Station      Film on the topic!

The so-called loading ramp was part of the extensive mining complex "Consolidiertes Nordfeld". The approximately 8 m high and 60 m long rubble stone wall was built in 1902 and had an important function as a loading station in coal transport. A conveyor tunnel was installed for the coal mined at the mine that led out of the mine. A relic of this tunnel is the arch-shaped masonry tunnel portal still preserved today. From there, coal-loaded mine carts were transported via a 900 m long electrically powered narrow-gauge cable railway to the loading station. Here, the hard coal was loaded onto railway freight cars. The standard gauge railway ran through the Glan Valley towards Waldmohr to the Jägersburg station, where it connected to the regional railway line. The loading ramp, listed as a monument, is now threatened by decay.

(35) Nordfeld Mine         Film on the topic!

Under the name "Nordfeld", Leipzig merchant Moritz Rosenthal obtained the concession in 1889 for a 376-hectare mining area at the Höcherberg for hard coal mining. With the concession of another mine near Dunzweiler, the mining company "Consolidiertes Nordfeld" was formed. The first shaft, "Fortuna," reached a depth of 628 m in 1893 without finding productive seams. In 1894, the second shaft, "Wilhelmine," was started and sunk to 867 m by 1901, making it the deepest shaft in the Saar mining region. In addition to the shafts with double headframes, operational buildings with steam boiler and electrical plant, workshop and storage rooms, and a generous washroom for staff were erected. The Nordfeldbahn went into operation in 1903 for coal transport. About 500 men worked at the mine in 1904. The mine closed on January 1, 1905, because the small coal deposits did not allow economic operation. Today, the historic Nordfeld mine path leads to the few remaining remains of the mine. 

(11) Eulenkopf

The Eulenkopf, at 469 m, is the highest elevation in the Dunzweiler area. Embedded in the Höcherberg-Westrich landscape protection area, it forms part of the watershed between the Nahe and Saar rivers along with neighboring ridges. The waters to the east flow via the Glan to the Nahe, while western streams connect via the Blies to the Saar river system.

In 1758, the field called "auf dem Eylenkopf" is mentioned in documents. The teacher Egon Wagner wrote in 1954 about his home village Dunzweiler: "The village itself stretches along the southern broadside of the Eulenkopf. It lies about halfway up, surrounded by a kettle-shaped mountain rim, and opens to the land of the western Landstuhl Bruch only through the small valley of the Klingbach." From the distinctive peak of the Eulenkopf there is a wide view into the neighboring Saarland to the west and the Palatinate landscapes West Palatinate Highland and Westrich Moor Lowlands to the east.

(12) Dunzweiler Town Sign

The quiet residential community Dunzweiler lies directly on the border with Saarland below the 469 m high Eulenkopf, embedded in the Höcherberg-Westrich landscape protection area. The village's landmarks are its two churches. "Duntzwilre" was first mentioned in records in 1247. Various traces of Celtic and Roman settlement have been found on its grounds, along with stone evidence from the Roman period. In medieval times, the two former settlements Hübschweiler and Holzweiler also existed within the Dunzweiler boundary. The Dunzweiler Mill developed into its own district. Several old prospecting sites for hard coal can be found in the area, and until the 1950s, miner-farmers working in the Saar mines were the dominant occupational group in Dunzweiler. The village festival calendar includes the Kerwe on the first weekend in September, the Nikolaus market on the first Advent, and the village festival every other year. Since 1986, the municipality has maintained an international partnership with the French community of Monchy-Lagache.     

Directions

BAB 6 exit Waldmohr,

L 355/B 423 to Schönenberg-Kübelberg,

K 4 to Dunzweiler

Parking

Kirchenstraße, 66916 Dunzweiler

Coordinates: Longitude 7° 18' 23'' / Latitude 49° 24' 52''

Coordinates

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