Korb: Hiking, Half-Timbered Houses and Local History

There are two distinct reasons to visit Korb: trails in the Westerwald and the architectural and industrial history of Unnau-Korb. If you are looking for a hotel for your trip, making this distinction can help you decide whether you want to spend most of your time hiking, exploring historic buildings, or doing both. The routes each have different highlights.

Hiking Trails and Choosing a Route

One stage of the Kölner Weg starts at Unnau-Korb station. At the entrance to Korb, it follows the Wäschbach stream before continuing into the Hoher Westerwald. It is described as a short, easy hike with numerous viewpoints, and is also suitable for cyclists. The WesterwaldSteig offers a different kind of scenery: meadow paths lead through the Wäschbachtal to Unnau-Korb, with views as far as Monsberg. This gives you clear differences to consider when choosing: the Kölner Weg offers a short, easy hike and viewpoints, while the WesterwaldSteig follows the valley and offers views of Monsberg.

For rail travel planning, Unnau-Korb station is listed as the starting point for the Kölner-Weg stage; the WesterwaldSteig leads to Unnau-Korb, which has rail connections. Unnau-Korb is also listed alongside Nistertal-Bad Marienberg and Hachenburg on the Limburg–Westerburg–Hachenburg–Au (Sieg) rail connection. Check the current timetable for your travel date.

Half-Timbered Houses and Architectural History

The heritage register dated November 19, 2024, lists a protected area on Hachenburger Straße in Unnau-Korb, comprising a group of 19th-century Quereinhäuser. Except for number 16, the houses are gable-fronted, meaning their gables face the street; they are half-timbered buildings, some of which are clad. The term gable-fronted describes a house’s orientation, while half-timbering and cladding describe its construction and exterior finish. At Wiesenweg 3, the register lists a former school, a single-story, slate-clad half-timbered building dating from 1878. Several clad half-timbered Quereinhäuser and a station building with a goods shed dating from around 1885 add to Unnau-Korb’s historic buildings. The years 1878 and around 1885 are only a few years apart: the former school and the station building thus date from a similar period, but represent different types of buildings.

Earlier Industrial History

The name Kalkofenseifen comes from a lime kiln mentioned near Korb in 1697. Below Korb, an iron forge with a wire-drawing operation and nail forge was in operation in 1725. The two dates are 28 years apart, but refer to different things: the lime kiln explains the origin of a name, while the iron forge represents a specific industrial operation. The chronology runs from the lime kiln’s mention in 1697, to the iron forge’s operation in 1725, and then to the 19th-century buildings.

Discover more destinations: Nomborn, Oberelbert, Steinen, Neustadt/Westerwald, Lochum, Rehe, Giesenhausen, Niederelbert

Go to the regional travel overview: Westerwald.