Counts' and Monks' Trail (Stroll #6)

Around the middle of the 11th century, a local noble family built a castle on a rocky spur in the Dhünn valley. Its location and construction were so imposing that it was called Berge Castle. The family soon adopted the surname "von Berg" (of Berg), and as they controlled more and more of the land between the Rhine and Sauerland, the Wupper and Sieg rivers, the name "Bergisches Land" (Bergish Land) also became established for this region.

This 11,4-kilometer circular trail leads in the footsteps of the later Counts of Berg, as well as to the famous traces left by Cistercian monks in the Dhünn Valley. When the Counts of Berg moved to a new castle on the Wupper River (today: Burg Castle) in 1133, they made their old Berge Castle (Altenberg) available for the founding of a monastery. The monks soon built a new monastery complex in the Dhünn Valley, whose second, Gothic church, known as Altenberg Cathedral, remained world-famous long after the abbey's dissolution at the beginning of the 19th century.

Along the way, hikers embark on a journey through time. They learn how the monks built the cathedral, why people in the early Middle Ages had to fortify the boundaries of their possessions, and discover the remains of an old refuge castle. An elaborate reconstruction of Berge Castle gives a glimpse into why this structure was so impressive to contemporaries.

Odenthal-Altenberg is a stage town on the "Bergischer Weg" trail.

The trail has a total of 8 information panels. We would like to thank Elke Nagelschmidt, who maintains the trail as a volunteer trail steward.

Between March and October, you can also easily reach the starting point of the Counts' and Monks' Trail by... Bergisch Hiking Bus .