Giershausen: Cycling Route and Local History

Giershausen lies on federal highway 256 between Weyerbusch and Flammersfeld; here, the road is called the Historic Raiffeisen Road. Two aspects give you a clear direction when choosing a destination: an official cycling tour between the Birnbach and Mehrbach valleys, and archaeological traces in the village center. If you’re looking for a hotel in Giershausen, you can first decide whether cycling or the village’s history should be the focus of your trip.

An official cycling tour between the valleys

The official cycling tour is 15 kilometers long and runs between the Birnbach and Mehrbach valleys toward Giershausen. It follows a connecting road at an elevation of approximately 280 meters, with varied vegetation and beautiful views along the way. The route crosses the Giershausen Heights and descends behind Giershausen toward the Birnbach valley. The 15 kilometers refer to the route length, while approximately 280 meters is the elevation of the connecting road.

Starting point for official Tour 3

Official Tour 3 starts at the parking lot by the Hilkhausen community center.

Scenery and navigation in the Birnbach valley

In the Birnbach valley, the path is narrow and somewhat difficult to navigate. Do not ride side by side there. If you’d like to take in the scenery while cycling, you’ll find a meandering stream, natural meadows, and rocky path edges in this valley. Red kites and other birds of prey are often spotted along the route.

Cultural stops and places to rest

The route passes the Kraamer Mill, which dates back to the 16th century; its millpond is still clearly visible. A detour leads to Mehren, a half-timbered village that is partly protected as a historic monument. The detour connects the village with several named visitor highlights, including a Romanesque church and the historic village jail. The church and jail represent different aspects of the village’s heritage: sacred architecture and local history. For a rest, the route lists the Stähler and Heisterholz businesses in Hemmelzen as possible stops. If you plan to stop there, check in advance whether they can accommodate your visit at that time.

A natural monument in Adorf-Seifen

In Adorf-Seifen, a hornbeam arch more than 200 years old stands as a natural monument and is considered unique of its kind.

Archaeological traces in the village center

Archaeological excavations in Giershausen’s village center uncovered the remains of a palisade belonging to a motte, considered an early Carolingian refuge fortress. Compared with the Kraamer Mill, which dates back to the 16th century, this find points to a much earlier historical period.

In the wider Altenkirchen destination

The wider Altenkirchen destination offers further historical and cultural connections. In 1849, Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen founded the “Flammersfelder Hülfsverein zur Unterstützung unbemittelter Landwirthe” in Flammersfeld, the world’s first credit cooperative. The Klosterdorfweg in Marienthal leads around the former Franciscan monastery and through the shady spa forest of the Archdiocese of Cologne. Marienthal is still a popular place of pilgrimage today. Flammersfeld and Marienthal offer different historical points of interest within the wider Altenkirchen destination: Raiffeisen’s founding of the association on one hand, and pilgrimage and the Klosterdorfweg on the other.

Discover more destinations: Oberlahr, Horhausen, Ahlbach, Obersteinebach, Rott, Orfgen.

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Flammersfeld.