Fernthal: GeoRoute, Chapel and Tennis

Fernthal offers a range of opportunities for exercise and culture: an outdoor fitness trail, hiking trails, a historic chapel and an annual pilgrimage. There is also a tennis hall open to visitors. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between the different types of activities—from training at individual stations to a multi-stage hiking route.

Exercise and sport in Fernthal

The Fernthal outdoor fitness trail is next to the kindergarten. You can train outdoors for free at five stations; clear exercise instructions guide you through activities for flexibility, coordination and strength. The trail offers a different kind of exercise from hiking: here, the focus is on exercises at the stations, while on the GeoRoute, the route and planning its stages are key.

The tennis hall in Fernthal is open to everyone interested in playing and training. Court times can be booked online. If tennis is part of your travel plans, check the available times and choose a suitable booking slot.

Hiking the GeoRoute

The first stage of the GeoRoute “In the Valley of the Old Hut” is 9.5 kilometres long and begins at the sandstone church in Fernthal. The entire GeoRoute is 17.6 kilometres long and can be hiked in three stages or in one go. The two distances refer to different scales: 9.5 kilometres is the length of the first stage, while 17.6 kilometres is the length of the entire route. A signposted connecting trail on the GeoRoute leads from Altenhütte back to Fernthal.

The GeoRoute “Basalt and Non-Ferrous Metals” offers another geological perspective. It explains the volcanic forces that shaped the ridge as far as Fernthal. Together, the two routes offer different ways to explore the area: “In the Valley of the Old Hut” focuses on stage lengths and the choice between hiking several sections or the entire route, while “Basalt and Non-Ferrous Metals” explains how the ridge was formed.

Chapel and pilgrimage

The Catholic branch chapel of the Assumption of Mary in Fernthal was built in 1911. The chapel houses a Madonna dating from the 15th century. The construction date and the Madonna’s age refer to different periods in the area’s history and give the building a distinctive cultural and historical significance.

The annual pilgrimage from Fernthal to the Maria-Hilf Chapel in Koblenz-Lützel has taken place since 1830. It is held every year in May and starts at 5:45 a.m. at St. Mary’s Assumption Chapel in Fernthal. The route combines sections on foot with bus journeys. If you plan to take part in the pilgrimage, check the specific date in that year’s announcement.

In the wider destination of Neustadt (Wied)

The wider destination of Neustadt (Wied) provides the regional context. Neustadt (Wied) is located in the Vorderer Westerwald and in the Rhine-Westerwald Nature Park. The local municipality’s landscape is shaped by valleys, hills and woodland at elevations of 120 to 370 metres above sea level. Bertenauer Kopf is a volcanic hill and, at 351.50 metres above sea level, the highest point in the local municipality of Neustadt (Wied).

Other places to visit in the wider destination of Neustadt (Wied) include the forest nature trail above the local municipality and the Berschau nature recreation area. The forest nature trail is a two-kilometre circular route with interactive information or play stations about the local forest. Berschau lies on the banks of the Wied and includes a biotope, hiking trails, playgrounds and barbecue huts. These destinations add to the picture of Neustadt (Wied); the landscapes and leisure facilities mentioned are located there.

To the wider travel overview: Neustadt.