This was going to be a long one, as I would be combining day 5 with part of day 6. I hadn’t been able to find accommodation in Steinfeld, the end of the fifth stage, 17 km from Gemünd, and had been obliged to add another 10 km to reach Nettersheim where I had an apartment booked for the night. So I would be setting off for a hike of at least 27 km. The one advantage was that I would only have 14 to do the next day to complete day 6. In the end, I ended up covering 29 km.
The day began with a terrific breakfast at the hotel in Gemünd, with the friendly owners handing out paper bags for guests to make packed lunches to take with them from the breakfast buffet.
After the previous night’s storm, the temperature was a lot lower and a very cold wind was blowing. I continued to hike in shorts, but I needed a light Haglofs jacket over my T-shirt all day long. This handy item which I picked up in Oslo years ago is one of the lightest pieces of gear I own, yet one of the warmest. It has been on every long hike with me since 2015 and has always come in handy.
On the way to dinner the night before, Gemünd had struck me as a depressing little place. On my way through the town to pick up the trail, I found out why. It had been devastated by the terrific flooding of the summer of 2021, and there was a small monument on the main street to all the locals who had drowned. This disaster no doubt explains why so many shops were boarded up and empty.
The trail left the town along the valley of the Olef, one of the two rivers that burst their banks two years earlier. It was hard to believe that the gentle river flowing below had caused such damage.
The trail climbed steadily through the woods on its way to the village of Olef, passing a pretty and well-positioned look out.
There were also a few shrines on trees too, simple ones compared to those seen on the Alpe-Adria in Austria, but with a charm all of their own.
In Olef, there was a detour to follow as it is no longer possible to cross the bridge that was washed away in 2021. Olef was a pretty little place with lots of half-timbered houses and a shady square.
The trail climbed steeply out of Olef and then, for the rest of the morning, continued to climb gently between woods and farmland. I took a short break in the village of Golbach where I spotted a wittily named bird box.
From there, it was a steady and pleasant climb through wonderful scenery to what is normally the end of day five, the magnificent Steinfeld abbey.
The abbey was founded in 920 and is now a huge place with courtyards, gardens, a maze, a private school, a huge guest house [unfortunately fully occupied] and an impressive basilica. There’s also a café and gift shop just inside the main gate where I stopped for a bite to eat before exploring the other buildings.
As I was eating my lunch, I realized why there was no room at the inn. A bus dropped off around 50 pensioners who headed straight for reception. Despite the beautiful setting, maybe it wouldn’t have been much fun sleeping there with such a huge group on the premises.
After my lunch, I strolled through the abbey buildings. The basilica was particularly impressive, with an ornately carved pulpit, a huge organ [apparently one of the best in Germany], a magnificent high altar and the tomb of Herman Joseph of Steinfeld, a popular saint who lived at the abbey in the 13th century. The tomb is now a pilgrimage destination. By custom, apples are left there because Herman once offered an apple to the Christ Child in the arms of the Madonna in a church in Cologne – and the child took it.
Before setting off again, I took a look around the abbey gardens, and also wandered through the small maze.
I then had 10 km or so to do to reach Nettersheim. It was already 2:30 by then and as I had told the apartment owner that I would be arriving around 4:30, I did the 10 km at a very rapid pace. The terrain was mostly flat with a brief climb from time to time, making it very easy going. There was nothing unusual or spectacular about this section, just the usual blend of woods and open fields.
On looking at the map, I realized that following the trail would take me on a long loop around Nettersheim when the apartment I had for the night was fairly close to the edge of the town. Komoot (the hiking app that I swear by) found a way directly to the address that saved me a longer walk and I arrived at 4:15. Just before reaching the village, it began to rain quite heavily, so for the first time, I got out my rain gear.
The apartment turned out to be a huge place for just one person, with a living room, bedroom, a spacious kitchen, a very large bathroom and a patio. The lovely owner had provided coffee, mineral water, tea, etc., and a nearby supermarket provided dinner. It was nice to have so much space for once after the rather basic hotel rooms of the first few days.
The rain continued to fall for a couple of hours, but the forecast for the coming days. [indeed the coming week] is excellent. Being a trail completist, I shall begin tomorrow by returning to the spot where the Komoot shortcut began before making my way to Blankenheim.
Footsteps 