Westerwald Lake District

Welcome to Westerwald Lake District

Picturesquely situated at an altitude of more than 400 metres, the plateau with the seven ponds (Dreifelder Weiher, Postweiher, Brinkenweiher, Hofmannsweiher, Haidenweiher, Hausweiher and Wölferlinger Weiher) of the Westerwald lake district is bordered by gentle hills in the north and extends into the Saynbach valley in the south. Hike along the 7-pond hiking trail through marvellous forest passages along secluded banks and enjoy the unique panorama. Relax on a pedalo trip, jump into the cool waters of the Dreifelder Weiher or the Postweiher. Birdwatchers and amateur photographers take note: The home of great crested grebes, grey herons and coots can be discovered here. Enjoy the idyllic setting of the designated bird sanctuary!

With its 123 ha, the Dreifelder Weiher is the largest body of water in the Westerwald lake district. It stretches over a length of 2000 m and is up to 800 m wide. The main tributary of the pond is the Wied, which rises about 2 km north-east of Linden.
Our tip: Take a leisurely 6 km hike around the Dreifelder Weiher and let yourself be enchanted by the beauty of the Westerwald lake district.

The Haidenweiher was first documented in 1691. With a water surface area of around 30 hectares, it is the second largest pond in the Westerwald Lake District and is now used for stocking fish. It is connected to the Dreifelder Weiher via its drainage ditch. The Haidenweiher has been designated a nature reserve since 1979. It has not always been surrounded by closed forest areas. Its name refers to the condition of the landscape at the time of its creation. At that time and until the 19th century, large areas of heathland adjoined the pond. They had developed on former forest land in the course of centuries of cattle grazing by the neighbouring communities.

With an area of 21 hectares, the Brinkenweiher is the third largest pond in the Westerwald lake district. It was created around 1660 by damming the source streams of the Holzbach. It has been a nature reserve since 1977. The protected area includes the actual pond area, adjacent meadows and pastures as well as near-natural deciduous forest areas.

The Postweiher, which was dammed after 1665 by damming the source streams of the Holzbach, is located behind the Westerwald lake district. In its day, day-trippers came here for fun and recreation as hikers or in winter for ice skating. In 1912, a bathing jetty was approved at the Postweiher for the first time. In 1929, the Freilingen lido was built, and it was not until 1950 that the campsite was established. Today, in addition to fish farming as its main use, the Postweiher is still managed as a recreational water body with a camping site and bathing beach. Pond farming, tourism and nature conservation represent important utilisation interests at the lake site.

The Wölferlinger Weiher, located north-east of the small village of Wölferlingen of the same name, is part of the Westerwald Lake District. The Wölferlinger Weiher, which is only 1 ha in size, is surrounded by a belt of reeds and is thus hardly ever found by visitors. Since its designation as a nature reserve, it has been an ideal terrain for animal observation and plant exploration and a pure nature experience for hikers. It is home to rarely occurring bird and plant species such as the blue ladder of heaven and the two-leaved forest hyacinth. The lake has marshes and shallow water zones at its edges. The nature reserve surrounding the lake has a size of about 90 h.

A bird paradise for around 250 bird species
The NABU Foundation acquired the ponds in autumn 2019, in particular to protect the idyllic habitat of the animals and plants. The bird sanctuary, surrounded by forests and meadows, is home to around 250 bird species. The Westerwald Lake District is a true paradise for bird lovers and amateur photographers, as it is home to great crested grebes, grey herons and coots, among others. With a bit of luck, you can also observe protected species such as the great horned owl.

Source: DataHub Rheinland-Pfalz