Bergischer Fuhrmannsweg (Streifzug #9)

This is how an obituary for a "Bergisch carter" describes him. The carters who traveled the then largely bumpy roads in the Bergisches Land region around a hundred years ago, transporting numerous goods – from crops and pig iron to dangerous gunpowder – had to be tough.

This 13,5-kilometer circular trail follows in the footsteps of the "Bergisch teamster" to the Brucher Dam and through old sunken lanes to Müllenbach. Along the way, information panels invite hikers to stop at the very spots where the teamsters used to rest. You'll learn why Marienheide developed at the intersection of two ancient long-distance trade routes, how iron ore was smelted in what is now the Eulenbecke nature reserve, and just how uncomfortable traveling by stagecoach was.

The stories that teamsters liked to tell in the numerous teamster taverns are just as much a topic as the dangerous job of transporting highly explosive gunpowder over bumpy roads. Almost as an aside, there is also a popular recreational area to discover, nestled between a reservoir, a pilgrimage site, and a "Bonten Kerke" (a church with colorful decorations).

Marienheide is a stage town on the "Bergischer Panoramasteig" hiking trail.

The trail has a total of 8 information panels and 2 audio stations. We would like to thank Andreas Rüffler, who maintains the trail as a volunteer trail steward.