Wacholderweg – Traumpfad

At 2.5 degrees and frost we started at the juniper hut. The sun showed up again and again, the wind over the plateau was still pretty fresh. The route is well signposted. The first small ascent was rewarded with a panoramic view. It all goes on very leisurely. At this time of year, people are satisfied with a more modest landscape. It's winter and the Eifel air spoils your lungs. The eye is actually constantly and changing and of course in the nature reserves Wabelsberg and Büschberg. You can imagine what it will be like when everything is green and blooming. The forestry path from picture 9, which then meanders down and later follows the stream, was unfortunately very muddy. I pass large areas of diseased spruce trees that have been harvested. This emptiness in the forest is also frighteningly evident here. Now that I have arrived in the Nettetal, I am happy about the wild and romantic landscape and it is fun. Including climbing over a fallen tree that blocked the way. At the end of the valley comes the ascent. It goes up slowly and also through a beech forest and there is always a beautiful view of the valley. Juniper bushes accompany the last short path, which winds its way up and steeper with roots growing through it. Once at the top, a hiker's hut invites you to take a break. A short breather is a must. Then it is only a few meters to the parking lot. The juniper hut invites you to take a break. She was open. A nice hike even at this time of year.

The highlight of the tour is the heathland on the Wabelsberg right at the beginning of the tour. The beautifully located "Wacholderhütte" offers a good opportunity to stop off after the hike. More information about the tour can be found here: https://www.traumpfade.info/pfad/traumpfad/wacholderweg/ If you only want to do a short lap, choose the dream path Langscheider Wacholderblick with the same starting point. On the other hand, if you like it a little longer, you can combine the tour with the Bergheidenweg dream path, which is also very beautiful.

A short but very beautiful tour, especially recommended in hot weather. The landscape is like a picture book and you are surrounded by a pleasant silence. Occasional sounds come from nature (birds chirping or whistling, wild animals). If you want to do a bit more of the route, the good signage means that lots of additional turns and additions are easily possible.

The Wacholderweg dream trail leads you mainly along wide paths through mixed forest and open spaces with magnificent views. It's rare to find a trail that makes the heart of a trail lover beat faster. Shortly before the end of the tour, you'll be directed across the heath, which invites you to visit the Wacholderhütte, which is highly recommended...

It's a shame that there are so many clear-cut areas and dead trees.

"Where are we going today?" "How about the juniper heath? It doesn't have to be a big walk today - and then we'll stop for coffee!" We agreed on that - and we were almost alone on the way - because on grey, foggy days - nobody seems to dare to go out. If you stop here, you only hear the few sounds of nature - a few birds chirping around - chainsaws remain silent today: The sun is shining again briefly today. As a reward? Clearly! The juniper hut offers cake - for us to try at the end. We got a seat there too - because no other guests came. Then we drive back to the house - a beautiful day! The rhyme is over!

Of course, I also took advantage of the second day of great weather in February to tick off another Eifel dream trail. I decided on the juniper trail and rode the same route as last Sunday, when I walked the mountain heath trail, to Arft/Dorfplatz, including the 54-minute stop in Mayen (and another visit to Genoveva Castle). Once I arrived in the juniper village of Arft, I then went directly uphill on a 700m asphalt access road to roughly the middle of the dream trail. The official starting point, as well as a parking lot and the map, are at the juniper hut in Langscheid. I start the dream trail anti-clockwise and go to the right, where I soon come across beautiful rolling hills and the juniper heath. I reach the Büschberg and briefly turn off the main path to reach the plateau. There are benches and loungers between man-high juniper bushes and crooked pines, as well as a very large stone that looks a little like the center of the stone circle from "Outlander". I put my hands against it, but unfortunately I am not drawn to 17th century Scotland where I find the Highlander for life between all the clan fights, and so I head back to the main path of the local dream path. By the way, on the back of the stone there was an explanation that it was built as ....... I walk through the clear, cold February air, which is not yet really warmed by the sun. In places the grass and bushes at the side of the path are still under a layer of regularly grown ice crystals, which are a little reminiscent of the experiments from a chemistry set ❄️🧊 It now goes gently downhill on wide paths and I enjoy the wide views that are offered to me today. I reach the Wabelsberg and leave the main route here again to sit down on a bench in the sun under a juniper bush that has grown as high as a house (okay, as high as a bungalow), relax a little and eat the Määhh-liner (warning, no joke, that's really what they call it) that I bought in a Mayen bakery during the almost hour-long wait. A kind of Berliner, filled with hazelnut cream and decorated like a sheep 🐏 If they don't run around freely here, I'll just let one out of the bag. Today, unlike yesterday, I don't feel like the last of us at all; on the short stretch of the dream path, I have so far met 3 couples, 1 soloist and a large family including the family dog. So I'm clearly walking in the wrong direction again 🧐🔄 I reach the Wacholderhütte, a restaurant right on the way, open and, judging by the occupied parking spaces, quite well attended. So good that a flashy cart driver parked right in front of the map, so close that I couldn't get in between with my backpack on my back to photograph the map. With a lot of struggle, sucking in my stomach, stretching my arm and activating the timer, I finally managed it and continued on my way. The path now turns right and becomes narrower and more path-like. The hidden hut contains a small supply of books 📚, whether for exchange or as a gift or as a way to pass the time during the break is not clear to me and I continued down the narrow path. This now meets wide forest paths again, which lead me gently downhill past tall trees down to the Nette, which is not crossed. On this path, 2 of the 3 couples and the soloist from before came towards me, we grin at each other and say "hello" for the second time for today and then move away in the opposite direction. Once I reach the bottom of the valley, it goes straight uphill again. Here I also meet the extended family with the dog from before. I pass hair ice, which is supposedly a rare phenomenon, but I have seen it quite often on almost all of my recent hikes, as well as trees covered in moss all around, which show very clearly how damp it is in the last depression on this section of the route. From now on, it is only and exclusively uphill 📈 I now meet the third couple from the beginning and a few new faces, all of them are running towards me and thus in the "prescribed" direction. I feel a tiny bit like a rebel 😂

"Wacholderweg" doesn't sound that exciting at first and in fact, the route doesn't have the concise highlight that you absolutely want to have seen. But then there are sometimes hiking trails that are downright exhilarating simply for the scenery and natural beauty. Just like the juniper path. Maybe I was just in the right place at the right time, but when the fog is in the valleys in the morning, the sun is sparkling in the morning dew and over the wide mountains, and I encounter deer, rabbits and other animals, then I couldn't be happier. Just like that.