Camping vacations in the middle of nature: The Westerwald Lake District with its seven lakes is the perfect destination for people who like to spend their vacations in the fresh air and want to have a sustainable vacation. At an altitude of 400 meters, you can swim, row and pedal boats, hike and bike - all in harmony with nature. We present you the highlights:
The seven idyllic lakes on the plateau between Hachenburg and Montabaur seem as if they have been there since time immemorial. But they were created artificially. In the 12th century, monks dammed up the first small ponds in the marshy area for fish farming. 500 years later, shortly after the Thirty Years' War, Count Friedrich III zu Wied expanded the ponds into the seven ponds of the Westerwald Lake District. A wise and foresighted benefit for people, plants and animals. Today, the ponds, which are connected by inlets and outlets, are home to rare wading birds and waterfowl such as red-necked and black-necked grebes, endangered fish such as bitterling, and plants such as the blue sky ladder.
The largest of the seven is the Dreifelder Weiher. It is two kilometers long and just under one kilometer wide. The camping site "Haus am See" is located directly on the water on the northwestern shore. Here you can rent rowing and pedal boats or explore the lake on a stand-up paddle board. The village of Dreifelden with its 300 inhabitants is also part of the 20 km long "Radrundweg Seenplatte". Through the densely wooded area, there are no major climbs, which is why the circular tour is also well suited for children. Along the way, numerous informative panels and a large adventure playground await you. Afterwards, you can refresh yourself with a jump into the Dreifelder Weiher and end the evening romantically in a wine barrel. Yes, you have read correctly: The campsite lives up to its name and offers not only pitches and vacation lodges, but also converted wine barrels with their own sun terrace on the lake for overnight stays.
By train and bus comfortably to the Dreifelder Weiher: Plan arrival.
For those who prefer hiking, there is the "7 Pond Trail". The total of 31 kilometers are divided into four sections of 5 to 18 kilometers in length - north loop, south loop and green and blue loop. So everyone can find a route to suit their taste. By the way, a total of 130 kilometers of marked cycling and hiking trails lead through the area of the seven lakes. You can even join the 235-kilometer Westerwald Climb. Stages five and six of the well-known long-distance hiking trail - Westerburg-Freilingen and Freilingen-Nistertal - lead past the Postweiher.
The Postweiher may also be used as recreational water and attracts with a natural beach bath. You can also camp here, surrounded by deciduous and coniferous forest, at the Freilingen campground. It offers pedal boats, rowing boats and bicycles for rent.
The campsite "Park Hofgut Schönerlen" is located in a park-like setting on the smallest of the seven ponds, the Hausweiher. The house pond with a sunbathing lawn on a sandy bay is only accessible to camping guests, which gives the facility a touch of exclusivity. The trail riding station also fits in with this. Horse fans can ride out and book trail rides. For guests who have neither their own camper nor tent, the family camp has a great alternative ready: rentable caravans.
The other four ponds in the lake district - the Hofmanns, Haiden and Brinken ponds and the Wölflinger pond - are protected natural biotopes. There you can observe animals and explore plants. The Haidenweiher, for example, is a bird sanctuary. A 6.4-kilometer-long walking trail leads around it, where you can keep an eye out for marsh birds such as egrets and lapwings. In Brinkenweiher, the third largest in the lake district, the bitterling fish, which is threatened with extinction in Rhineland-Palatinate, was recently discovered. The small fish live only in waters with large mussels, which they need to raise their offspring. The Wölflinger Weiher hides itself and its marshy shore behind a dense belt of reeds. To find it, you have to follow the croaking of the frogs.
Cover picture: The Brinkenweiher is over 26ha large - and since 1977 nature reserve ©Rheinland-Pfalz Tourismus GmbH/
For a Vacation in Rhineland-Palatinate there are many good reasons. Some of them are the several castles and chateaus, great Vineyards on the Moselle and Rhine and historic cities like Trier and Mainz.
