Mills, crosses and distant views

Like a hen watching over her chicks, St. Clemens Church in Wipperfeld seems to protect the village houses. Not only is the view of the village remarkable, but so is the panorama from here – as well as from numerous other hilltops climbed on this challenging yet very charming 22,3-kilometer hike. The effort is rewarded with ever-changing glimpses into the Bergisches Land region and its unique features, such as the "Bergisches Dreiklang" (a traditional sound system), the local dialect, and the piety of its people. You'll encounter the locals "op dr Thier" (in the countryside) and the processional crosses visible from afar at the former Ommerborn Monastery, and along the way, you'll learn a great deal about the history of mills.
From the hiking parking lot, walk up Professor-Mausbach-Straße towards St. Clemens Church. Although a chapel in the village is documented as early as 1300, the current church was only built at the end of the 19th century. However, there are still noteworthy remains of the previous building.
They are still located on the south side of the new church, built between 1892 and 1894 according to the plans of architect Heinrich Wiethase. Inside, too, there are reminders of the Middle Ages, such as a Romanesque holy water font from the 12th century.

In front of the church, follow the village road marked "A1" to the left. After approximately 430 meters, turn right onto the field path (!). At the end of the road, continue following the "A1" marker to the left, then follow a farm track down into the valley. Cross a path there and continue straight ahead, still marked "A1," uphill to Grüterich. At the edge of the village, turn right onto a farm track and follow the Wipperfürth circular hiking trail, marked with a white circle, which will initially lead you into the forest.

At the edge of the forest, a view opens up into the Schwarzenbach valley. The villages of Oberschwarzen, Mittelschwarzen, and Unterschwarzen were first mentioned in 1443 under the name "swartau" in a list of revenues and rights belonging to the Cologne Apostolic Abbey. Hike down to the paved road and follow it to the left through Oberschwarzen. The Wipperfürth circular hiking trail leads you through the hamlet and then continues uphill to the edge of the forest, where you turn right. To your right, you have a charming view of Wipperfeld before reaching the paved road. Follow this road to the right for a few meters, then turn left, walk through a small wood, and then turn left again. The farm track, marked "A3," leads down through the forest to Jörgensmühle, where hikers are greeted by the "Bergisches Dreiklang" (Bergisches Triad): Green shutters and doors adorn black and white half-timbered houses or slate facades with white windows and door frames – these are the typical colors of the Bergisches Land region. The mill that gave the place its name must have already existed in 1443. It appears under the name "to der Molen" in the same list of income and rights of the Cologne Apostolic Church from which the places of the
Schwarzenbachtals derive their first mention.

On the side road, turn left and walk to the main road. Cross it and on the other side, follow the signs for "A3"/"A5" diagonally to the left uphill to Thier. Locals call the village "Op dr Thier," which—unsurprisingly—was first mentioned in 1443. Its church, however, dates only from the end of the 19th century, although it replaced an older, but probably much smaller, place of worship.

At the top of the hill, follow the roads to the left into the village and turn right before the church onto "Kapellenberg" (refreshments available). Hike through Niederflosbach, walk a few meters to the left along the district road in the valley, and then follow the "circle" marker uphill to the right through the forest until, shortly before Buchholz, you reach the Water Quintet hiking trail marker at the edge of the woods. Turn right and follow this trail. Almost unnoticed, you will climb the 306-meter-high Kolersberg near Oberbüschem and hike through the extensive Vogelberg forest to the hilltop near Ommerborn, where you will pass the three white processional crosses of the open-air altar, which once belonged to the former Eucharistic monastery of Ommerborn. Especially in the post-war period, thousands of worshippers came to the small village for the Eucharistic processions. Just above the former monastery building, turn right and hike along the Water Quintet Route through the forest to Neuenhaus and on via Dahlerhöh down into the valley of the Kürtener Sülz. There you cross the main road. In Junkermühle, memorials commemorate the
The place was originally named after millstones and a millpond; the mill buildings themselves were converted into a residence. The so-called Junkerburg no longer exists, but some of its stones were used in 1889 to build the castle-like, two-story villa. Follow the "Rothe Furth" path past the former millpond, up the Sülz valley for a few meters, and then turn left into the Richenbach valley, which you follow further upstream back to Wipperfeld.