Wasserturm Montabaur · Guide

Things to do around Montabaur – old town, Gelbach valley, Lahn and Rhine

Walk from the water tower to the old town, hike the Gelbach valley or drive 20 minutes to Koblenz and the Deutsches Eck. Our tips for Montabaur and the Westerwald.

Aerial view of Montabaur with the ICE line and the Westerwald

Montabaur is a good base: the Westerwald starts on the doorstep, and the Lahn and Rhine rivers are close by. These are the places we recommend most often. Driving times are rough estimates.

In Montabaur, on foot from the tower

Old town: half-timbered houses, small shops, cafés and restaurants, about fifteen minutes on foot.
Montabaur Castle: the yellow castle on the hill is the town’s landmark and can be seen from the tower. It is used as a conference venue and is not open to the public inside, but the walk up and the view over the town are worth it.
Montabaur outlet: right at the ICE station, five minutes on foot. Handy on a rainy day.

Hiking and cycling

Gelbach valley: the Gelbach stream runs from Montabaur through a deep valley down to the Lahn at Obernhof. The Gelbachtrail covers about 22 km from Montabaur to the Lahn valley; allow around six hours and plan your way back in advance. Shorter sections start, for example, in the Montabaur district of Wirzenborn.
Arnstein Abbey: above the Lahn valley near Obernhof, at the end of the Gelbach valley – a fine finish for a hike through the valley.
Köppel: at around 540 m one of the highest hills in the area, with a lookout tower. The Köppelweg trail leads up from Montabaur and on for about 31 km to Koblenz.

Maps and current trail information are available from Westerwald Touristik, which is based in Montabaur.

Along the Lahn and Rhine

Koblenz, about 20 minutes: the Rhine and Moselle meet at the Deutsches Eck. A cable car crosses the Rhine up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. Upstream from Koblenz stretches the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its castles.
Limburg an der Lahn, a little over 20 minutes: the cathedral above the Lahn and the half-timbered old town are worth half a day. Many ICE trains also stop at Limburg Süd, just a few minutes away.
Bad Ems, about 25 minutes: the spa town on the Lahn is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Great Spa Towns of Europe”.

For a rainy day

Westerwald Ceramics Museum in Höhr-Grenzhausen, about 20 minutes: the area around Höhr-Grenzhausen is known for its stoneware, and the museum shows ceramics from the past to the present.
Montabaur outlet: five minutes on foot.
Stay in: sofa, air conditioning, a view of the castle and your own kitchen for an evening for two.

Afterwards

After a long day the access code lets you in at any time, and your car parks in front of the steps and charges at the wallbox. See Getting here for directions.