Micro adventure on the Nahe river trail

NAHESTEIG: The trail in numbers: 2 days, 60 km and 1400m elevation

My journey starts in the village Selbach at the source of river Nahe. I follow the trail sign, a blue N, while the young river makes its way through soft hills and meadows. There is little infrastructure out here, lots of buildings have been abandoned as younger generations have spread out in quest for work or to pursue different interests.

Nahe source

The trail barely touches villages, and infrastructure besides overland buses is almost non-existent. No coffee shops, no groceries, no pharmacies, not even a hole in the wall. So one has to carry provisions along, except for water which can be taken from an abundance of creeks along the way, provided one uses a filter system. I however prefer asking locals for water and engage in small talk.

Castle Veldenz in Nohfelden

In Hoppstetten a sign points to a local grocery store where I stock on re-supplies for my overnighter in the woods. My backpack is heavy now and pulls on my shoulders while I continue my trek.

Abbey mill of Bleiderdingen

As the sun sets I find the ideal place to set up camp, a sleeping spot with a view. Temperatures will fall into the low single digits but my equipment has been proven capable of dealing with even sub-zero degrees °C.

I sleep well, have breakfast and break camp. The morning offers some wildlife views, there are rabbits, a beaver and deer but I am too slow to capture them with my camera.

The ups and down of the single trail continue but with the food and water vanishing magically, my pack is getting lighter again.

Nohen railway bridge

In Kronweiler I meet a local in a repair shop who keeps a water bottle supply for hikers and bikers in his shed giving it out for free in return for some friendly exchange of words. What a nice gentleman.

Shelter at Kronweiler

At the rock spur Weibersprung the tale goes that virgins had to be sacrificed in order to calm down some monster living in the gorge. I wonder why they didn't throw some younglings over the cliff for a change.

At the end of the day, shortly before arriving at the trailhead in Idar-Oberstein, the path leads along the grown river passing an interesting geological feature. The gorge rocks looks spectacular while being touched by the last sun rays of the day. What a hike! The trail is so good, I want to do it all over again. But at another time in another season. I call for a taxi to the hotel I had booked ahead, looking forward for a hot shower and call it a day.

The bear that saved the village

My Mom and I had been spending a few days on the shores of East Frisia where our family roots lie. As my mother's memory is ever so slowly wandering into forgetfulness we try jogging her brain every so often by visiting places she already knows and remembers. We had a good time with tons of seafood (and shrimps even twice) and she still knows her way around in the kitchen.

We had booked an apartment in ESENS, my mom's birth place. The town's heraldic animal is the bear. In medieval times the former moated and fortified city was besieged by enemies who had cut all supply routes in order to starve the inhabitants. But shortly before surrendering a bear, owned by a traveling musician, freed himself, climbed the walls and angrily threw rocks around. The opponents concluded that if the city had enough provision to even feed a bear, it would take too long to wait for them to die from starvation. Hence, they broke the siege and the village was saved by the bear.

The church where Mom got baptised and married. 

Mom's family home

We also went to the beach but the tide had an unfortunate timing... the water was never there. At least we had pretty nice albeit chilly weather.

Bensersiel

Neuharlingersiel