Felling of dangerous trees on the Bärenkopp - detour of the Wäller Tour Bärenkopp is signposted
The popular Bärenkopp viewpoint near Verscheid is the destination of thousands of hikers every year. Many of them are on the Wäller Tour Bärenkopp, which starts in Waldbreitbach. It was nominated as Germany's most beautiful hiking trail in 2019. Just below the "summit", a spruce forest that has been dead for some time due to heat, drought and bark beetle infestation is now causing concern. For the safety of hikers, dangerous trees are to be removed there from Monday, June 19.
"The dead spruce trees can collapse quite suddenly. We have already had to move in several times in recent weeks to clear the blocked hiking trail of falling trees and broken crowns," reports forester Gregor Nassen. "As forest owners, the safety of those seeking recreation in this heavily used tourist area is very important to us", explains Breitscheid's mayor Rita Viccari, adding: "The aim is to keep the hiking trail to Bärenkopp permanently accessible". The local council therefore immediately gave the green light for the upcoming measures in the difficult, steep terrain.
The work, which is being coordinated by the Neustadt-Waldbreitbach forestry district, will start on June 19. It is expected to take around three weeks. During this time, it will be necessary to completely close the Bärenkopptour and the B 1 circular hiking trail between the Verscheid rainwater retention basin and the Bärenkopp. The Touristik-Verband-Wiedtal and trail patron Liane Viebahn will signpost a detour route on site and online in the Rhineland-Palatinate tour planner. This runs from the rainwater retention basin via a narrow path up to "Paganetti`s Gasthof zur Erholung" and the Verscheid chapel. The Bärenkopp is then temporarily only accessible from above as a dead end.